In today's two National Cricket League (NCL) matches, Rangpur Division and Dhaka Metro emerged victorious. Rangpur defeated Dhaka Division by 21 runs via the DLS method, while Dhaka Metro won against Rajshahi by 8 runs. Rangpur now sits at the top of the table with two consecutive wins, followed closely by Dhaka Metro in second place.
Dhaka Metro vs Rajshahi: At the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, Dhaka Metro won the toss and opted to bat first, finishing their 20 overs with a total of 162 runs. Naim Sheikh once again showcased his aggressive batting, scoring 43 runs off just 2 balls before being bowled by Rajshahi’s Wasi Siddiqi.
Opening partner Imran Uzzaman was dismissed for 21, ending the opening partnership at 61 runs. Naim Sheikh departed after the powerplay, and Anisul Islam made 15. Shamsur Rahman Shuvo contributed with 27 runs from 24 balls, while Tahzibul Islam’s 31-run innings took Dhaka Metro to 162.
In reply, Rajshahi got off to a flying start with Habibur Rahman Sohan, but their other opener, Sabbir Hossain, was dismissed for a golden duck. Sohan scored 33 runs off 23 balls before being dismissed by Shahidul Islam. Captain Pritom Kumar added 19 runs, but Rajshahi's batting fell apart rapidly.
Farhad Reza fought a lone battle, scoring a half-century, but could not single-handedly carry Rajshahi to victory. In the final over, Farhad was dismissed, and Rajshahi were all out for 154, losing by 8 runs.
Rangpur vs Dhaka Division: In another match, Rangpur won by 21 runs against Dhaka Division. Rangpur, batting first, scored 140/5 in their 20 overs. Ariful Haque top-scored with an unbeaten 45, and captain Akbar Ali contributed 28 runs.
Dhaka faced an uphill task, as the match was reduced to 17 overs due to poor lighting conditions. The revised target for Dhaka was set at 134 runs via the DLS method. Dhaka’s opening partnership was broken early for 37 runs, and they kept losing wickets. In the end, Dhaka could only manage 112 runs, falling short by 21 runs.
With this win, Rangpur moved to the top of the points table with two consecutive victories.
