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Improbable Dhaka draw

SPORTS REPORTER
The experience of Khaled Mahmud and the youthful exuberance of Mahmudullah Riyad combined to lift Dhaka from the brink of defeat to an exciting draw against Chittagong on the final day of their four-day National Cricket League match at the Dhanmondi Cricket Stadium yesterday.
Dhaka looked dead and buried when they lost seven wickets for 121 before Tea chasing an improbable victory target of 351. But Mahmud and Riyad denied Chittagong by putting up 128 runs for the eighth wicket as the holders eventually finished on 267-8. The
spectacular rearguard action also helped Dhaka to avoid their first defeat after two outright victories on home ground.
Chittagong might be disappointed after coming so close to beating the star-studded Dhaka but they still won four points by virtue of their first innings lead. Chittagong now closely followed Dhaka in the six-team table with 10 points. Dhaka have 14 points after the end of the third round of the country's lone first-class competition.
Draw was also the order of the other two fixtures in Khulna and Bogra. But hosts Khulna and Sylhet both won four points each for having first-innings advantages over Barisal and Rajshahi respectively to join Chittagong in the crowded second position.The National League will now take a long break before the fourth round starts on
January 17. Cricketers however will have to quickly shift their focus to the Premier Division Cricket League that begins on December 12.
DHAKA-CHITTAGONG
When Mahmud joined Riyad Dhaka were left with an entire session to survive with only three wickets in hand.
It was a demanding task but the pair rose to the occasion to script a great escape act in the short history of the National League.
When most of the experienced Dhaka batsmen including captain Mohammad Ashraful (36 off 29 balls) perished playing reckless shots, young Riyad, batting at number six, set the perfect example how to cling to the crease.
The right-hander showing nerves of steel never resorted to any fancy shot during his match-saving 122-
ball 70 that featured seven boundaries. Riyad, a matured head on a young shoulder, also scored a vital 63 in the first innings.
Mahmud, the more aggressive of the two batsmen, followed up his first-inning 81 with an unbeaten 83 that contained eleven fours and two sixes.
With the duo playing with ease a frustrated Chittagong captain Nafees Iqbal offered an early draw with nine overs remaining but Dhaka decided to play so that either of the two batsmen might reach 100.
But Riyad was out after two overs, driving occasional medium pacer Masumuddowla straight to Nafees at short cover.
Mohammad Sharif then safely
SEE PAGE 13 COL 6 FROM PAGE 12
negotiated the remaining overs with Mahmud.
Earlier Chittagong were bundled out for 276 resuming the day on 235-5.
Dhaka coach Sarwar Imran showered his praise on Riyad while his Chittagong counterpart Minhazul Abedin advised the young batsmen to follow a supremely fit Mahmud at the age of 34.
KHULNA-BARISAL
Barisal secured their first points after two consecutive defeats when they thrived on two half-centuries by Imran Ahmed and Nasiruddin Faruque to score 149-4 in 60 overs in their second innings to settle for a draw at the Khulna Divisional Stadium.
Resuming the day on 96-4, Habibul Bashar's men were all out for 145 in 69 overs setting a 251-run winning target for the whipping boys. Pacer Arafat Salahuddin took two more wickets to finish with 5-27.
Barisal opener Imran led from front with an unbeaten 60 off 180 balls to enable his side secure two points and he shared a 92-run second wicket partnership with
Faruque, who added 123-ball 53. Spinner Jamaluddin Babu returned a match haul of eleven wickets when he claimed three for 45 in the second essay.
RAJSHAHI-SYLHET
The match between Rajshahi and Sylhet saw a tamed draw at the Shaheed Chandu Stadium in Bogra.
Rajshahi set Sylhet a 223-run winning target, but the tourists were never in chase to achieve the target as they finished on 149-5 in 58 overs with Ijaz Ahmed making the team highest 41 off 63 balls.
Earlier, Nuruzzaman (40) and Rafiqul Islam (39) contributed 69 runs for the eighth wicket as Rajshahi, who conceded a decisive 54-run first innings lead, scored 276 all out in 98.1 overs resuming the day on 184-6.
Enamul Haque was most successful Sylhet bowler picking up four for 83.
SCORES IN BRIEF
DHAKA-CHITTAGONG
CHITTAGONG: First innings
377and second innings - 276 all out in 78.1 overs (overnight 235-5) (Masum 0, Nafees 7, Salahuddin 26, Nazimuddin 0, Ehsanul 62, Faisal 66, Dhiman 86, extras 13, Rafique 5-113, Ashraful 1-46, Sharif 1-28, Mosharraf 2-37)
DHAKA: First innings 303 and
second innings 267-8 in 74 overs (Anwar 1, Mehrab 14, Al-Shahriar 18, Ashraful 36, Al-Shahriar 8, Riyad 70, Sajjad 13, Rafique 12, Mahmud 83 not out, extras 12; Ehsanul 3-45, Yasin 3-111, Hasan 1-33, Masum 11).
Result: Match drawn.
KHULNA-BARISAL
KHULNA: First innings 379 and second innings-145 all out in 69 overs (overnight 96-4) (Shafiul 27, Hasanuzzaman 11, Bashar 10,
Tushar 6, Manjarul 30, Jamaluddin 29, extras 10; Salahuddin 5-27, Marshal 2-25, Hannan 1-33, Sajid 1).
BARISAL: First innings 274 and second innings 149-4 in 60 overs (Imran 60 not out, Shahriar Nafees 4, Faruque 53, Hannan 3, extras 22; Jamaluddin 3-45).
Result: Match drawn.
RAJSHAHI-SYLHET
RAJSHAHI: First innings 242 and second innings 276 all out in 98.1 overs (overnight 184-6) (Farhad Reza 35, Masud 19, Hasanuzzman 38, Mushfiqur 58, Nuruzzaman 40, Rafiqul 39, extras 24; Nazmul 3-67, Ashiqur 2-36, Enamul 4-83).
SYLHET: First innings- 296 and second innings 149-5 in 58 overs (Moniruzzaman 15, Mabud 6, Ijaz 41, Mowla 20, Kapali 21 not out, Imtiaz 22, Rezaul 23 not out, extra 1; Mushfiqur 2-26, Saifullah 1-24, Farhad 1-23).
Result: Match drawn.