Bowlers dominate Day 1 of NCL 5th round

Bowlers dominated in all four games on the opening day of the fifth round of the 26th National Cricket League (NCL) with a total of 50 wickets falling at four different venues today.

At the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur, Dhaka Division's pacer Sumon Khan ripped through Khulna Division's batting line-up, claiming a career-best 6-50, to bowl them out for just 172.

Skipper Mohammad Mithun (69) was the only exception in a faltering batting performance from Khulna after they had opted to bat first. Dhaka finished the day on 58-3 with Khulna pacer Al-Amin Hossain taking two wickets.

Khulna's Imrul Kayes, who will retire from red-ball cricket after the ongoing contest, made 16 off 27 balls before getting caught behind.

During the lunch break, the southpaw was presented a crest by his teammates in a short felicitation programme where Tamim Iqbal and Mohammad Ashraful were also present.

In Khulna, league leaders Sylhet Division took a seven-run lead over Dhaka Metro after reaching 137-2 at stumps with skipper Amite Hasan unbeaten on 51.

Earlier, left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed claimed 4-19 while pacers Khaled Ahmed and Rejaur Rahman Raja took three wickets each to bundle out Metro for just 130.

In Chattogram, 18 wickets fell on the day with Chattogram Division's pacer Fahad Hossain claiming his maiden five-wicket haul in first-class cricket, 5-31, to dismiss Rajshahi Division for just 112.

Chattogram openers Sadikur Rahman (54) and Parvez Hossain Emon (41) formed a 96-run stand before a batting collapse saw the hosts finish on 173-8 with a lead of 61.

In Rajshahi, fifties from Iftikhar Hossain (70), Salman Hossain (67) and Tasamul Haque (51) guided Barishal Division to 266-7 at stumps against Rangpur Division.