Mosaddek magic continues

There are few players in Bangladesh's domestic circuit who are hitting the ball as well as Mosaddek Hossain is at the moment. He is just 20 and started playing first-class cricket only two years ago, but the maturity and the consistency that he has shown so far sets him apart from his peers.

He already has three double hundreds in 18 first-class games with a superb average of 70.80. In the ongoing Dhaka Premier League, the country's leading 50-over competition he holds the highest average of 86.20. 

His calm, unbeaten 64 against Prime Bank at the BKSP yesterday helped Abahani out of the mire and win a crucial fixture. It was the second consecutive time that he bailed the heavyweights out.

There is a sense of joy when one watches Mosaddek bat. The manner in which he easily carves the inside-out drives makes you wonder about the immense talent that the youngster has. What's also impressive is the concentration that he displays. He has regularly scored for Abahani at number six in this league, despite the fact that he rarely plays in that position, preferring to play higher up.

Abahani had suffered a mini-collapse during their chase of 240 and lost three wickets for six runs. They were struggling at 156 for five in 29 overs. However, Mosaddek took control from there on. With the help of Liton Das, who scored a 51-ball 25 and kept his own wicket intact, Mosaddek took Abahani over the line. He scored four fours and four sixes during his 49-ball 64 and led Abahani to a five-wicket win over the defending champions.

Earlier, slow left-armers Shakib Al Hasan and Saqlain Sajib shared seven wickets to restrict Prime Bank to 240 for nine.

At the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur, Nasir Hossain's Prime Doleshwar became the first team to seal a spot in the Super League when they beat Gazi Group Cricketers by five wickets. An all-round performance from Prime's foreign recruit Ashok Menaria led them to an easy victory.

Batting first, Gazi Group were restricted to 213 for eight with Menaria scalping three wickets.

After the exchange, Menaria posted an unbeaten 59, and along with Nasir's 40 and Rony Talukdar's 43, took the team to the top of the table with 14 points.

Kalabagan Cricket Academy won the battle at the bottom of the table when they beat Cricket Coaching School by five wickets at Fatullah. The player of the match was Kalabagan's foreign recruit Jatin Saxena who scored 87 and also scalped two wickets.

SCORES IN BRIEF 
PRIME BANK: 240 for 9 (Nurul 46, Taibur 43; Shakib 4-35, Saqlain 3-37)
ABAHANI: 243 for 5 in 44.3 overs (Mosaddek 64 not out, Pathan 60; Shuvagata 3-38)
Result: Abahani won by five wickets
GAZI GROUP CRICKETERS: 213 for 8 (Elias 46; Menaria 3-29)
PRIME DOLESHWAR: 217 for 5 in 49 overs (Menaria 59 not out; Sharif 1-32)
Result: Prime won by five wickets. 
CRICKET COACHING SCHOOL: 185 for 9 (Amit 38; Mahmudul 3-37, Jatin 2-26)
KALABAGAN CRICKET ACADEMY: 186 for 5 (Jatin 87; Nasum 2-31)
Result: Kalabagan won by five wickets.