Mushfiq's hundred goes in vain, pacers once again steal the show

The BCB President's Cup has finally seen some fine individual batting performances. All-rounder Mahedi Hasan's outstanding 82 in the first innings for Tamim XI followed by veteran Mushiqur Rahim's valiant hundred for Najmul XI finally broke the shackles. 

But Najmul XI's disastrous batting performance let Tamim XI bag their first win in the BCB President's Cup by beating Najmul XI by 42 runs. The lone warrior, Mushfiqur Rahim scored a brilliant hundred, but it was not enough. Pacers once again stole the brilliant batting display by Mushfiq and Mahedi. The tournament is now level on points after the first round. 

Mushi the lone warrior

Mushfiqur Rahim came on to bat in the ninth over, his team was already two-down managing to score only 14 runs. He tried to build partnerships with Soumya Sarkar, Afif Hossain Dhrubo, but nobody lasted long enough. 

Mushfiqur’s valiant hundred wasn’t just enough for Najmul XI. Photo: BCB

At one point, Najmul XI were 5 down for 74 after 25 overs. Mushi then paired up with Irfan Sukkur, who scored a brilliant fifty in the first match, put on 59 runs together for the 6th wicket. This partnership was giving them some hopes, but not enough. Sukkur departed when his team still needed 90 runs from 12 overs. It was all Mushfiq after that. In the 40-run 9th partnership with Taskin, Mushi scored the majority of them. But soon after he reached his hundred, he got bowled out to Mustafiz.

Apart from Mushfiq, only Afif and Sukkur reached the double-digit run-mark. 

Mushfiq's 103 runs innings off 109 balls consisted of nine 4's and one 6. He seemed ruthless as long as he was at the crease. Only if he got enough support from his partners, Najmul XI would sit on top of the points table now. 

This was the tournament's first hundred in three matches.

Mushfiq thus proved, there are runs in this patch, it is the batsmen who are failing again and again.

Pacers stole the show, again!

Pacers' show continued at Sher-E-Bangla National Cricket Stadium today. Nine of ten Najmul XI wickets were taken by pacers, the other one was run out. 

Shoriful Islam was the starman, he took 4 wickets giving away only 37 runs from his 10 overs, including a maiden over. The under-19 World Cup winner bagged Afif Hossain Dhrubo, Towhid Hridoy, Nayeem Hasan, and Rishad Hossain. 

'Cutter Master' Mustafizur Rahman continued his good form from last game, bagged 3 wickets for only 15 runs from his 8 overs. His crucial first spell saw him taking the wickets of Saif Hassan and skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto, which initially broke the pushed Najmul XI to backfoot. 

Saifuddin was a bit expensive compared to the earlier two, but he took 2 wickets as well, giving away 41 runs from his 8.4 overs.

Mahedi scored a match-winning 82 off 52 balls for Tamim XI. Photo:BCB

All-rounder Mahedi Hasan was adjudged the man of the match for his outstanding 82 off 57 balls which eventually helped Tamim XI to put on a decent score on the board.

All three teams have now bagged a win each from the first round. The second round will begin on Saturday between Najmul XI and Mahmudullah XI at Mirpur.