Mar 16,2020
Mushfiq lights up DPL with epic ton
Abahani Limited batsman Mushfiqur Rahim plays a shot during their Dhaka Premier League match against Partex Sporting Club at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Sunday.— BCB photo
Mushfiqur Rahim lit up the opening day of the Dhaka Premier League by hitting a thumping century to guide defending champions Abahani Limited to a comprehensive 81-run victory over promoted Partex Sporting Club at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Sunday.
Mushfiq struck 127 off 124 balls, his 12th list-A ton, and was well supported by Mosaddek Hossain’s 61 off 74 balls as Abahani posted 289-7 in their stipulated overs after opting to bat first.
Jaynul Islam was the pick of the Partex bowlers, finishing with 3-28 while Tasamul Haque took 2-29.
In reply, Nazmul Hossain Milon’s valiant 53 off 63 balls went in vain as Partex were bundled out for 208 in 48.4 overs with pacer Mehedi Hasan Rana being the chief destroyer with 4-55 and Taijul Islam taking 2-30.
Earlier, Abahani made a disastrous start to their innings, losing both openers, Liton Das and Mohammad Naim, for a duck inside the first two overs.
Their situation worsened after losing three more wickets in quick succession to be stranded at 67-5 in 21.4 overs.
Mushfiq and Mosaddek then rescued Abahani’s innings by adding 160 runs off just 139 deliveries for the sixth wicket, setting them up for a substantial total.
Mushfiq took 24 balls to get off the mark, but after soaking in the initial pressure the veteran batsman dominated the Partex bowlers, hitting 11 fours and six sixes, to bring up his first DPL ton after two seasons.
‘I didn’t play last year, so it has been two years (since his last DPL century)…. I wasn’t thinking about the century. But it feels good to score one,’ Mushfiq told reporters after the match.
‘I think even in Tests I have never taken this many deliveries to get my first run. I believed that if I can get set at the crease then I could score runs. I was trying to build up a partnership. Mosaddek made it easy for me,’ he added.
But Abahani’s innings received another jolt as Jaynul dismissed Mushfiq and Tasamul removed Mosaddek in consecutive overs to reduce them to 232-7 in 45.2 overs.
All-rounder Mohammad Saifuddin then hit an unbeaten 39 off 15 balls adorned with five sixes and Taijul made 17 off 14 balls not out to push Abahani to a sizable total.
Partex top-order couldn’t withstand Abahani’s attack, getting reduced to 67-4 inside 15 overs.
Skipper Tasamul and Dhiman Ghosh tried to stop the free-fall of wickets with a 43-run stand, which Aminul Islam ended by trapping the former in-front.
Nazmul and Dhiman then added 49 runs for the sixth wicket but before the pair could pose any serious threat to Abahani, Taijul removed Dhiman to reduce Partex to 159-6 in 36.5 overs.
Nazmul continued his lone battle but Mehedi claimed three wickets to ensure a comfortable victory for Abahani.
Brief Scores
Abahani Limited v Partex Sporting Club
Abahnai 289-7 in 50 overs (Mushfiq 127, Mosaddek 61, Saifuddin 39 not out; Jaynul 3-28, Tasamul 2-29) v Partex 208 all out in 48.4 overs (Milon 53, Tasamul 43, Dhiman 36; Rana 4-55, Taijul 2-30)
Result: Abahnai Limited won by 81 runs
Player of the match: Mushfiqur Rahim (Abahnai Limited)
