Sylhet on the Brink of National Cricket League Title

In the ongoing National Cricket League (NCL), Sylhet is on the verge of winning the title in the one-day format. Despite finishing as runners-up in the four-day format for the last two seasons, with key players like Zakir Hasan, Jaker Ali Anik, and Abu Zayed Rahi, this time Sylhet is at the top of the points table. In the fifth round of the NCL, Sylhet's dominant performance saw them defeat Dhaka Metro by an innings and 139 runs, pushing them a step closer to the title.

In the Sylhet-Dhaka encounter at the Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium in Khulna, it was the bowlers who took center stage. Sylhet's bowling department is regarded as one of the strongest in the country, and they lived up to the reputation, with Khaled Ahmed, Rezaur Rahman Raja, and Nasum Ahmed demolishing the Dhaka Metro batting line-up, reducing them to less than 150 on two occasions.

In the first innings, Sylhet's bowlers dismissed Dhaka Metro for just 130 runs. Khaled, Raja, and Nasum’s bowling was instrumental in getting rid of Metro's top order, including players like Marshall Ayub, Shamsur Rahman, and Naim Sheikh. The highest score for Metro came from opener Naim Sheikh, who made 31 runs, while Mahfijul Islam contributed 27 runs.

Despite the bowler’s dominance, there were concerns about Sylhet's batting. However, the opening partnership between Taufik Khan Tushar and Pinak Ghosh provided early stability, with the duo putting together a 50-run partnership. Sylhet lost both openers quickly, but the middle order held firm. Mubinn Ahmed Dissan and captain Amit Hasan helped Sylhet recover, with a century partnership between them giving Sylhet a 34-run lead. Dissan scored 43 runs, but the real breakthrough came when Amit made an impressive 101 runs, guiding his team to a total of 376 runs. He was eventually bowled out by Arif Ahmed after reaching his century.

Asadullah Al Galib (58) and Tofail Ahmed (47 not out, including 6 sixes) helped extend the lead, and Sylhet finished their innings on a dominant note. Arif Ahmed of Metro took 4 wickets, while Abu Haider Roni claimed 3.

When Metro came out to bat in their second innings, they were already 246 runs behind, and were immediately under pressure. The fast bowlers Khaled and Raja made early breakthroughs, dismissing Metro for just 107 runs. The top order fell cheaply, with Metro's top batters such as Naim Sheikh (8), Mahfizul Islam (7), and Aich Molla (6) failing to contribute. Only Marshall Ayub (38) and Abu Haider Roni (28) showed some resistance.

In the end, Nasum Ahmed claimed the final wicket of Marshall to hand Sylhet an innings and 134-run victory. Khaled took 5 wickets for 45 runs in the second innings, while Raja grabbed 3 wickets. Nasum and Naim each took 1 wicket.

With 3 wins and 2 draws, Sylhet is currently leading the National Cricket League with 29 points. If they avoid any upsets in the final two matches, Sylhet is set to clinch their first-ever title in the four-day format of the NCL.