Mithun, Mizan shine in BCL with centuries

Mohammad Mithun hit 176 in the first round of the Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL) on Monday at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram.

Mithun and his opening partner Mizanur Rahman added a mammoth 327 in the opening stand with Mizanur hitting 162.

At the end of day two, Walton Central Zone posted 430 for two against BCB North Zone with Soumya Sarkar and Salman Hossain Emon remaining not out for 39 and 40 respectively.

Earlier, BCB North Zone posted 210 for all wickets in the first innings of the match with Parvez Hossian Emon hitting the highest 46 for them. For Walton Central Zone, Robiul Hoque scalped three wickets and Shuvagata Home took two.

At the end of day two, Walton Central Zone led by 211 runs with eight wickets in hand.

"I just wanted to play according to my strength," Mithun, who opened the innings for the first time in BCL, told in a video message. "Mizanur also played a wonderful innings. When we started well, we wanted to make it as big as possible. We are happy that we could put a big partnership. We will try our best to play like we started and go match by match."

Mithun has recently lost his national team place for his prolonged bad patch in the middle. According to some sources, Mithun was advised to open the innings in the longer version matches by head coach of the national team Russell Domingo.

If Mithun can continue to do well at the opening slot, he might get a comeback call to the national team, at least for the longer version of cricket.

In the other match of the first round, BCB South Zone are leading by 28 runs with four wickets in hand.

Riding on 88 by Anamul Haque Bijoy and 91 not-out by Zakir Hasan, BCB South Zone scored 288 for six in 82 overs at the end of day two in reply to Islami Bank East Zone's 260 for all wickets.

For Islami Bank, right-arm spinner Nayeem Hasan bagged three wickets while Mohammad Ashraful, who hit a fifty with the bat, took two wickets.

Earlier, in the first innings of the match, Nasum Ahmed and Mahedi Hasan of BCB South Zone bagged five wickets each to wrap up Islami Bank East Zone for 260.