Abahani thump Prime Bank to lift 18th title

Abahani Limited became Dhaka Premier League champions for the 18th time after their incomplete match against Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club on June 12 was declared no result.

Each team was awarded one point, helping Abahani finish on top with 23 points, and Doleshwar second, with 21.

This was decided by the four-member committee that was asked to investigate why the umpires for that game had walked off the field.

BCB president Nazmul Hassan said he wanted a re-match between the two sides, but later decided that he would go with the committee’s recommendation of a no result.

This is Abahani’s first title since 2010-11 season and their first since the DPL turned into a List A tournament in 2012-13.

They had put themselves in pole position after crushing Prime Bank Cricket Club by 115 runs in Mirpur on Wednesday.

Left-arm spinner Saqlain Sajib took 7 for 58 to become the second Bangladeshi bowler to take a seven-wicket haul in List A matches, and set up the win as well.

Captain Tamim Iqbal struck his second century this season as Abahani reached 316 for 7 in 50 overs.

They were stuttering at one point though. Liton Das had fallen in the first over and the score had meandered to 97 for 3 in the 23rd. But Tamim added 173 runs for the fourth-wicket with the in-form Mosaddek Hossain.

Tamim reached his fifty off 70 balls and sped to his hundred in the next 44 balls. He eventually holed out at long-on after making 142, the tournament’s highest individual score.

Mosaddek made 78 off 74 balls with five sixes and three fours.

Chasing 317, Prime Bank opener Mehedi Maruf hit 69 off 82 balls with five fours and three sixes. But he became part of a middle-order wobble as the team slipped from 115 for 1 to 126 for 5, reports ESPNcricinfo.

Sajib first removed Jony Talukdar for 13 and then had Nurul Hasan stumped for 9 in his next over.

Maruf and Taibur Rahman fell to Sajib in successive deliveries and Prime Bank were left needing 191 runs in 142 balls with only five wickets in hand.

Sajib then took the last three Prime Bank wickets - Raihan Uddin, Rubel Hossain and Shuvagata Hom, who made 51 off 33. Nazmul Islam didn’t bat due to an injury.