Gazi Tanks and Epyllion Group looked set to form the semifinal line-ups from Group B when they won their respective

matches of the GrameenPhone Corporate Cricket League on Thursday. In another match, fancied Beximco also shrugged off a lowly Metro Real Estate to join Bangladesh Biman at the top of Group A table.

Gazi Tanks rode on a gutsy unbeaten 37 by former national captain Khaled Mahmud to post an exciting three-wicket win against Araf Apparels at the Dhanmondi Cricket Stadium.

Epyllion scored a comprehensive 70-run victory over Security Air Express at the BKSP ground in Savar. Both the winners are now leading the Group B table with seven points each from four games.

The defeat for Araf on the other hand dashed the apparel giant's hopes for advancing into the last four.

Beximco blew away Metro Real Estate by 107 runs at the Fatullah Stadium on a day where the ball dominated over bat. Beximco's 213 was the highest innings total while Security Air had the misfortune of scoring the lowest 82 on the day. Interestingly, there were only two half-centuries

scored in three games with Shamsur Rahman notching highest 60 -- more than one third of Epyllion's total of 152.

Mehrab Hossain Jr (50 off 62 balls) was the other half-centurion for Beximco.

GAZI TANKS-ARAF

Araf Apparels gave away a solid start when they were bundled out for 202 in 46.4 overs after they were comfortably placed at 114-2 after being put into bat. Aftab Ahmed, coming in as second change, dismissed opener Ehsanul Haque (34), Alok Kapali (18) and Khaled Mashud (2) to initiate a collapse that saw Araf lose four wickets in the space of 14 runs.

However, skipper Hasanu-zzaman Rosel's fluent 45 off 72 balls helped Araf recover and go past the 200-run mark. Having hit four fours and one six, Rosel was brilliantly caught by Aftab at wide long-on. Aftab, who took another catch in the same over to fold the rival innings two deliveries later, captured 3-42 with his mediumpacers while his national teammate Manzarul Islam's left-arm spin produced three tail wickets costing him just 20 runs from 10 overs.

Title contenders Gazi Tanks were also staring at defeat when they were reduced to 57-5 despite a quickfire 26 off 21 balls by Aftab after tall paceman Shafaq Al Jabir (4-37) destroyed the top order.

However, young pair Abul Bashar (47) and Wasel Uddin (45) added 96 runs for the sixth wicket to set the stage for captain Mahmud, who coasted his side to victory with nearly five overs to spare. The all-rounder smashed six fours and a six in his cameo 25-ball 37 not out as Gazi Tanks reached 208-7 in 45.1 overs.

BEXIMCO-METRO REAL ESTATE

Left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak grabbed 5-24 to help Beximco bowl out Metro Real Estate for 106 in 36 overs with opener Imrul Kayes top scoring with 27. Earlier, Beximco scored 213-9 in stipulated 42 overs following a delayed start due to heavy overnight rain. Mehrab Jr and Mohammed Shahin (45 off 46 balls) put on 57 runs for the sixth-wicket after they had lost star batsmen Rajin Saleh (40), Al Shahriar (5), Mohammad Ashraful (3) and captain Akram Khan (22). Saqlain Sakib was the peak of Metro attack with 3-34.

EPYLLION-SECURITY AIR

The match at BKSP was also reduced due to wet ground conditions after overnight rain and Epyllion successfully defended a modest total of 152 (all out in 35.5 overs) when they restricted Security Air Express to just 82.

Moniruzzaman's 33 was the second highest for Epyllion after Shamsur Rahman's run-a-ball 60 featuring half-a-dozen boundaries and a six. Debashish Kumar and Isam each chipped in with three wickets.

Opener Ranim hammered 32 off 27 balls for Security Air but other batsmen failed to impress. Shahadat Hossain and Nabil Samad took two wickets each.