A vintage Mashrafe Bin Mortaza took six wickets including a double hattrick in the final over as Abahani returned to winning ways in the Dhaka Premier League with a dramatic 11-run victory against Agrani Bank at the Khan Saheb Osman Ali Stadium in Fatullah yesterday.

Agrani Bank needed 13 runs off the final over to topple Abahani's impressive 290 for six. But the experienced right-arm pace bowler, who has so far made the league his own with controlled pace and variation, dismissed a menacing Dhiman Gosh (46) with the second ball after conceding a couple off the first delivery. The inspirational Bangladesh ODI captain then removed Abdur Razzak (12), Shariful (0) and Fazle (0) with the next three deliveries as the bankers were bowled out for 279 in 49.5 overs. Mashrafe, who eventually finished with 6 for 44 runs, also had Shahriar Nafees, who hammered a 119-ball 121.

Earlier, Abahani's impressive total was built around a superb 133 by left-hander Nazmul Hasan Shanto and a quickfire 28-ball 46 from Mohammad Mithun. It was Abahani's seventh win from eight games.

Although the bankers failed in the final over, Prime Bank overcame a stiffer challenge against Prime Doleshwar in the last over when they required 16 runs. Sajjadul Haque (51 off 38 balls) hit the second ball for six while Shariful hammered the fifth delivery from Mamun Hossain, a no-ball, for another six before stroking the winning single, another no-ball, as Prime Bank, chasing Doleshwar's 286 for five, reached 287 for nine for an exciting one-wicket win.

The match also marked two centuries with Marshall Ayub hitting a sublime 135 off 128 balls for Doleshwar and Mehrab Hossain Jr. hitting 102 and sharing 147 runs for the opening wicket with Mehedi Maruf (82) for Prime Bank.

At the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur, a listless Mohammedan failed to chase down a modest 135 from Gazi Group. They were eventually bundled out for 108 in 33.2 overs with Nayeem Hasan claiming three wickets for 27 runs. He dismissed both Raquibul Hasan (22) and Mohammedan skipper Shamsur Rahman (19).

Earlier, holders Gazi Group rode on a 59-run seventh wicket stand between Asif Hossain (35) and Nadeef Chowdhury (28) to recover from a hopeless 6 for 50 to a modest total.

SCORES IN BRIEF