BCL Final: South pile on misery for East with mammoth total

Islami Bank East Zone trail by 376 runs with seven first innings wickets still in hand against four time-champions BCB South Zone at stumps on day 2 of the five-day Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL) final, at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium here on Sunday.

BCB South Zone resumed the first innings with overnight total 305 for 6, and  Shamsur Rahman and Farhad Reza at the crease. The seventh-wicket pair would go on to compile a 94-run partnership before being separated , as the South piled up a massive total of 486 runs before eventually being dismissed 139 overs.
Farhad, who started the day not out on 8, proved to be the mainstay of the innings for the South, even remaining unconquered on 103 extremely important runs (186 balls, 10 fours and 5 sixes).  
Shamsur contributed 79 runs,  playing 162 balls with ten hits to the fence.  
Besides, tail-ender Shafiul Islam scored 52-ball 30 runs with five boundaries.
Earlier on the first day (Saturday), BCB South Zone made a flying start scoring 131 runs in the opening stand by Fazle Mahmud and Anamul Haque Bijoy and later Fazle Mahmud pairing with Al Amin added another 53 runs for the 2nd wicket.

Opener Fazle Mahmud contributed the match highest 86 runs off 155 balls featuring nine fours and two sixes, national opener Anamul Haque Bijoy scored 131-ball 76 runs hitting five fours and one six while one down Al Amin made 61-ball 39 runs with five boundaries.

Besides, Mahedi Hasan quick-fired 35-ball 36 runs with four hits across the rope and one over the rope while Nurul Hasan made 23-ball 18 runs with four boundaries in the first innings for South Zone on the first day (Saturday).

Former national captain Mohammad Ashraful, Saqlain Sajib and Ruyel Miah claimed two South Zone wickets each conceding 13, 78 and 86 runs respectively.

Relying to the South's mammoth first innings total, Islami Bank East Zone opened the first innings and scored 110 runs for 3 in 39 overs when the bails were drawn for the 2nd day (Sunday) to trail by 376 runs.

Opener Pinak Ghosh scored the team highest 38 runs off 67 deliveries with four boundaries, Mohammad Ashraful made 62-ball 28 runs hitting five fours, captain Imrul Kayes contributed 47-ball 22 runs with three fours while one down Mahmudul Hasan remained not out 21 runs off 53 balls with three fours, and is set to be joined by Araf

Veteran spinner Abdur Razzak  grabbed two wickets for 34 runs while Shafiul Islam took one for 34 runs.