Rabiul Karim came from nowhere to stand tall at the Dhanmondi Cricket Stadium

with a superb hundred but it was not good enough for newcomers Young Pegasus to halt Abahani's winning streak in the Kai-Altech Premier Cricket League yesterday.

Despite the right-hander's 104, title aspirants Abahani posted to a comfortable 71-run victory when they restricted the youthful side to 204-6 after piling up 275-9 in the stipulated 50 overs at their home ground.

Another giants and defending champions Old DOHS, however, survived an Indira Road scare at BKSP with a scrappy 10-run win to maintain their all-win record in the third round and it was none other than proven fighter Khaled Mahmud who was the hero with an unbeaten 82 and two wickets to his credit.

In the day's other match, a blistering 91 not out by Shahbaj Butt steered Kalabagan Krira Chakra to an easy six-wicket victory against Partex Sporting Club at the Fatullah Cricket Stadium.

ABAHANI-PEGASUS

The team effort by Pegasus' Premiership rookies has already impressed the crowd but the way opener Rabiul batted in reply to a mammoth total, was really valiant.

The Rajshahi lad played with confidence on way to the third hundred in the league after Victoria's Hasanuzzaman and DOHS's Tamim Iqbal while wickets fell at the other end. Rabiul, who was almost undone by a bouncer from Mashrafee-bin Mortuza, embarrassed the Abahani opening bowler in the seventh over when he smashed four consecutive boundaries off the Tigers paceman. Having started the expensive over with a straight-drive, he flicked and edged the ball through to the fence before an exquisite cover-drive. His 120-ball essay was studded with a dozen fours.

Pegasus looked out of contention when they were reduced to 624 but Rabiul had an ally in Saif Mahmud to bounce back as the two shared 102 runs for the fifth wicket. Saif was unbeaten on 62 off 99 balls with four hits to the fence.

First-change seamer Mohammad Shahjada was the pick of Abahani bowlers with 3-31.

Abahani who were without three

key players -- Khaled Mashud, Manzarul Rana and Nazmus Sadat -- due to injury, rode on team effort with stand-in captain Tushar Imran top-scoring a chancy 73-ball 56 after opting to bat first, thanks to some poor umpiring.

Pegasus were exuberant in fielding but unfortunately, they dropped some vital catches including two off Tushar.

The other valuable knocks came from opener Zahurul Islam (49 off 40 balls), Nazimuddin (38 off 54 balls), Naeem Islam (40 off 40 balls) and Mashrafee (44 off 40 balls).

DOHS-INDIRA

Former national skipper Mahmud rescued the inserted DOHS from big trouble when the man-of-the-match shared a 70-run partnership with Dollar Mahmud for the eighth wicket. DOHS finished the curtailed 48-over quota on a modest 209-9 from a precarious 98-7.

The veteran right-hander clobbered seven boundaries during his 103-ball knock while Dollar added 25 from 45 balls.

Abdur Razzak, who later played a vital role with his left-arm spin, was the other notable scorer with a run-a-ball 31 that featured three

SEE PAGE 18 COL 6 FROM PAGE 17 fours and two sixes.

In reply, Mohammad Rasel scored a breezy 82-ball 75 but Indira Road were bundled out for 199 in 46.2 overs. Razzak claimed four wickets conceding 23 runs from 9.2 overs while Mahmud took 2-45.

KALABAGAN-PARTEX

Nahidul Haque and Pakistani Shahbaj Butt put on 111 runs for the fourth wicket to steer Kalabagan to their first victory in three games. The two repaired an early damage to take the total to 201-4 in 39.3 overs in reply to Partex's 200-9.

Nahidul scored 68 off 113 balls while Butt remained not out on 91 off 80 balls, laced with 12 fours and a six.

Earlier, Rafiqul Islam made 63 and Neeyamur Rashid 44 during a 94-run sixth wicket partnership to give Partex a respectable total.

SCORES IN BRIEF

ABAHANI: 275-9 in 50 overs (Jahurul 49, Chanda 6, Nazimuddin 38, Tushar 56, Imran 7, Naeem 40 not out, Mashrafee 44, Ziaur 17, Shuvo 7, Shahajada 0, Jamil 0 not out, extras 11; Delwar 1-46, Sharif 336, Sunny 1-39, Kamal 1-28, Jubaer 1-33).

PEGASUS: 204-6 in 50 overs (Rabiul 104, Asif 4, Lalmohan 4, Sharif 7, Jubaer 0, Saif 62 not out, Raisul 8, Kamruzzaman 2 not out, extras 13; Ziaur 2-19, Shahajada 331, Shuvo 1-37).

RESULT: Abahani won by 71 runs. DOHS: 209-9 in 48 overs (Tamim 4, Mehrab 2, Fernando 18, Ehsanul 6, Nadif 6, Mahmud 82 not out, Shahin 6, Razzak 31, Dollar 25, Nazmul 14, Samad 0 not out, extras 15; Rasel 321, Ariful 2-34, Mehdi 1-22, Tushar 2-21).

INDIRA ROAD: 199 all out in 46.2 overs (Mehdi 2, Ashiqur 8, Rasel 75,

Sumon 26, Tushar 2, Saiful 19, Moniruzzaman 28, Mukter 13, Ariful 4, Younus 0, Tariqul 6 not out, extras 16; Nazmul 1-16, Dollar 1-33, Razzak 4-23, Nabil 1-37, Mahmud 2-45, Mehrab 1-36).

RESULT: Old DOHS won by 10 runs.

PARTEX: 200-9 in 50 overs (Mizanur 8, Raqibul 0, Rajin 0, Tariq 12, Hanif 16, Rafiqul 63, Neeyamur 44, Rezaul 14, Hasan 13, Sharif 5 not out, Mallik 3 not out, extras 22; Mahmuduzzaman 2-34, Arafat 3-23, Rashidul 1-36, Kamrul 1-15, Karim 1-33).

KALABAGAN: 201-4 in 39.3 overs (Golam Rahman 0, Uttam 0, Nahidul 68, Karim 13, Butt 91 not out, Monirul 18 not out, extras 11; Rezaul 2-29, Sharif 1-41, Rajin 136).

RESULT: Kalabagan won by six wickets.