Sonargaon Cricketers finished runners-up in the Aktel Premier Cricket League on their

debut when they inflicted a 43-run defeat on Mohammedan Sporting Club at the Fatullah Stadium yesterday.

The newcomers, who made a poor start but bounced back after the players were handed punishments for playing reckless cricket in the middle of the league, recorded their eighth consecutive win to stretch their collection to 22 points with one round remaining.

Al Shahriar, one of the senior cricketers fined and stripped off captaincy during the club’s reformation process, hammered his seventh half-century to inspire Sonargaon amass 282 for six in 50 overs after being put into bat.

Shahriar’s 59 off 68 bails, which featured nine boundaries, not only steadied the side after early dismissals but also set a launching pad for significant knocks by

Indian international Sridharan Sriram (53 off 55 balls), Anisur Rahman Sanchay (48 from 64 balls) and m a n - o f -1 h e - m a t c h Mohammad Salim, who smashed 70 not out in just 63 deliveries.

After the opening pair was separated with five runs on board, Mohammedan raced past the 100-mark before 14 overs with quickfire knocks from Sandeep Shanna (21 off 15 balls) and Aftab Ahmed (25 off 26 balls).

The local giants looked well set for a victory having crossed 200 mark with more than 15 overs remaining. However, the dismissal of skipper Habibul Bashar on the total of 206 saw Mohammedan lose theirlast half in the space of 36 runs.

National captain Bashar hit 58 off 81 balls before being caught by substitute Rafiqul Islam Khan off the bowling of his Sonargaon coun-terpart Mohammad Ashraful.

Ashraful's legbreaks got him three wickets for 31 from 4.5 overs and the national cricketerwas elated afterhis side’ssecond-place finish.

"1 am happy because of the double success. We did it as a new team in the Premiership and I am

also captaining a side for the first time," told Ashraful who cracked five boundaries in a 21-ball 25 in the Sonargaon innings.

"We played great cricket toward the end and we could have been in the title race had we started picking up a bit early.

"Everything we did was dramatic. It began from the transfer when we made a strong team but got off to a poor start. Then we bounced back. It was really exciting and extra ordinary," added Ashraful who won al) eight matches after replacing Al Shahriar ascaptain.

In the day’s other match, a 43-run last wicket partnership between Rubaiyat Haque (30) and Lablur Rahman (13) helped bottomers Brothers Union snatch a thrilling one-wicket victory over Victoria Sporting Club at the Dhanmondi Cricket Stadium.

Having dismissed Victoria for 195 with left-arm spinner Arafat Sunny bagging 5-41 from 10 overs, Brothers reached 197-9 in 44.1 overs with one-down Gazi Salahuddin topscoring with 49 with five fours and one six.

FROM PAGE 12

SCORES IN BRIEF

SONARGAON: 282-6 in 50 overs (Al Shahriar59, Sriram 53, Ashraful 25, Sanchay 48, Salim 70 nor out, extras 19; Alamgir 2-62, Monlrul 2-50, _ Sabbfr2-46)

MOHAMMEDAN; 239 all out in 42,5 overs (Sandeep 21. Aftab 26, Bashar 58, Dhiman 33, Nadif 40, Alamgir 12, extras 33; Tapash 2-54, Mahbub 3-48. Sriram 1-25, Ashraful 3-31)

Result:Sonargaon won by 43runs.

VICTORIA: 195 all out in 19.1 overs (Jaffa? 31, Mahbub 53 not out, Palash20;Sunny5-4l)

BROTHERS: 197-9 in 44.1 overs (Salahuddin 49, Ehsanul 25, Rubaiyat 30 nor out; Palash 3-41, Shaon2-33)

Result: Brothers won by one wicket.