On an eventful last day of Dhaka Premier League's first phase yesterday Legends of Rupganj missed a chance to finish at par with leaders Abahani when they stooped to Agrani Bank. Sheikh Jamal Dhanmodi Club predictably completed the six-team Super League quorum with a massive 74-run win against Brothers Union and despite a ton from disgraced former national captain Mohammad Ashraful, Kalabagan Krira Chakra suffered yet another body blow and headed into the relegation play-off.

Ashraful hit a superb 127 at the BKSP in Savar, where the game started 30 minutes behind schedule due to heavy traffic delaying the arrival of both teams and match officials to the venue, as Kalabagan posted a fighting 260 against Mohammedan Sporting Club. It was the 33-year-old's third century in the league this season and the second in a losing cause after his 104 against Prime Doleshwar. He also scored an unbeaten 102 against Agrani Bank in a Kalabagan win.   

But the 124-ball innings from the right-hander that contained 13 boundaries and three sixes was not enough for Kalabagan to avoid their ninth defeat as Mohammedan rode on a stellar all-round performance from young left-arm pacer Qazi Onik to chase down the target with four balls to spare and two wickets in hand.

Onik ripped through the Kalabagan line-up to finish with six for 49, the best bowling figures of the 19-year-old's young career. He then finished the chase in style, hitting left-arm spinner Nabil Samad for consecutive sixes in the last over as Mohammed reached 263 for eight.

Mohammedan found themselves in deep trouble when their captain Shamsur Rahman (38) was dismissed in the 47th over, leaving the side with 28 runs to score off 18 balls with two wickets remaining. But Onik -- with left-arm spinner Taijul Islam, who hit an unbeaten 34 -- took them over the line.

The defeat meant Kalabagan are heading for the three-team relegation play-off with Agrani Bank and Brothers Union. They finished at the bottom of the 12-team table with four points, which is four fewer than Brothers and Agrani Bank.

The victory also did little to help Mohammedan's big-team reputation as they failed to progress to the Super League, finishing seventh behind holders Gazi Group. It also meant Mohammedan signed off from the League along with promotees Shinepukur Cricket Club and Prime Bank -- the three teams just above the relegation zone.

Agrani Bank however won two crucial points when they beat Rupganj by six wickets at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur thanks to a fine 82 by captain Shahriar Nafees. 

Sent in to bat, Rupganj scored an unimpressive 204 for nine despite availing of the services of national wicketkeeper-batsman Mushfiqur Rahim, who scored 21. Veteran batsman Tushar Imran stood alone in the ruins with 98 after a top-order collapse saw Rupganj losing five wickets for 55 runs. Pacers Al-Amin Hossain, with four for 44, Shafiul Islam with two for 36 and left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak (two for 33) lived up to their reputation as front-line bowlers for the bankers.

With just a day's break after a gruelling Nidahas Trophy campaign with Bangladesh in Sri Lanka, Mushfiqur Rahim turned out for Legends of Rupganj in their Dhaka Premier League match against Agrani Bank at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur yesterday. PHOTO: STAR

Agrani Bank were hardly troubled in their chase with Nafees hitting form after two disappointing games where he scored four and a duck. The left-hander hit 10 boundaries in his 108-ball knock. National opener Soumya Sarkar also returned to the domestic circuit after a heart-stopping Nidahas Trophy final defeat against India on Sunday. But he scored only 27. Curiously, the otherwise free-flowing batsman consumed 66 deliveries and did not hit a single boundary.

With this defeat Rupganj finished the first phase with 14 points, two points behind leaders Abahani.

At the Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium in Fatullah, Sheilkh Jamal Dhanmondi Club defeated Brothers Union with left-arm spinner Elias Sunny shining with both bat and ball.

He scored a vital 31 batting down the order as Sheikh Jamal posted 184 before being all out in 47.1 overs. He then took three wickets for 22 runs as Brothers were bundled out for 110 in 39.2 overs.

SCORES IN BRIEF 

SHEIKH JAMAL V BROTHERS UNION

SHEIKH JAMAL DC: 184 all out in 47.1 overs (Shykat 55, Tanbir 33, Sunny 31, Khaled 3-41, Suhrawardi 2-32, Shakhawat 2-25, Kapali 2-39)

BROTHERS UNION: 110 all out in 39.2 overs (Myshukur 27, Das 27; Jayed 2-22, Shohag 3-36, Sunny 3-22)

Result: Sheikh Jamal DC won by 74 runs.

LEGENDS OF RUPGANJ V AGRANI BANK

LEGENDS OF RUPGANJ: 204 for 9 in 50 overs (Mushfiqur 21, Tushar 98, Mosharraf 27; Shafiul 2-36, Al-Amin 4-44, Razzak 2-33)

AGRANI BANK CC: 210 for 4 in 47.1 overs (Nafees 82, Soumya 24, Shamsul 41, Dhiman 49 not out; Asif 2-46)

Result: Agrani Bank CC won by 6 wickets.

KALABAGAN V MOHAMMEDAN

KALABAGAN KC: 260 all out in 47.5 overs (Waliul 46, Ashraful 127, Mahmudul 33; Onik 6-49, Azim 2-49)

MOHAMMEDAN SC: 263 for 8 in 49.2 overs (Enamul 57, Rony 51, Shamsur 38, Taijul 34 not out; Nahid 2-38, Sanjit 3-48, Mahmudul 2-52)

Result: Mohammedan SC won by 2 wickets.