Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club skipper Mahmudullah Riyad came up with a stellar all-round show to clinch a nail-biting victory by 11 runs over Brothers Union in their Dhaka Premier League eighth-round match at the BKSP in Savar yesterday. The elegant right-hander hit a century that took him past 5,000 List A runs and then picked up three crucial wickets with his off-spin when things were getting tight in Brothers' chase.

In the day's other matches, Mohammad Mithun scored 90 to help Legends of Rupganj defeat Cricket Coaching School by six wickets in Fatullah. Meanwhile, at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur the Mashrafe Bin Mortaza-led Kalabagan Krira Chakra put one over Victoria Sporting Club, beating the higher-placed side by eight runs courtesy of a fine innings from Mehrab Hossain Jnr and crafty bowling from the captain.   

At the BKSP, Riyad came in to bat when Sheikh Jamal were reduced to 52 for two in 13 overs after being asked to bat. He then put on a 119-run third-wicket partnership with Marshall Ayub, with whom the national star had shared a double-century partnership earlier in the season. Riyad hit five fours and three sixes in his 114-ball 107, an innings made all the more special when he reached 71 and became the fourth Bangladeshi after Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan to cross 5,00 List A runs.

Sheikh Jamal's innings relied mostly on these two -- Marshall scored an 84-ball 54 with three boundaries -- as the next highest score was opener Abdullah Al Mamun's 27. Riyad was stumped off Milind Kumar in the last ball of the 48th over with the score on 236 for five and the remaining batsmen took the score to 252 for eight. Sanjit Saha was the most successful bowler for Brothers with figures of three for 69.

Mashrafe Bin Mortaza's Kalabagan KC tasted just their third win of the tournament as they defeated Victoria SC by eight runs in Mirpur yesterday. PHOTO: STAR

In the chase Brothers Union gave a strong reply through opener Imrul Kayes and number three Tushar Imran's 100-run partnership. At one stage, they were 171 for two in the 38th over, with a win seeming very possible. That is when Riyad the bowler showed up and had Imrul caught. He then added the wickets of Zakir Hasan and Nur Alam to have Brothers reeling at 215 for six in the 46th over. Riyad finished with excellent figures of three for 29 in 10 overs, many of them bowled during the death.

In Fatullah, a century from former national captain Rajin Saleh went in vain as CCS failed to defend 242. Rajin scored 106 off 138 balls with eight fours and a six. The innings was however overshadowed by Rupganj number three Mithun's 114-ball 90 and an equally important brisk, unbeaten 72 from Asif Ahmed that took Rupganj home with six wickets and 10 balls to spare.

Mashrafe marshalled his troops as only he can to defend a modest score of 213 against Victoria Sporting Club in Mirpur. Choosing to bat, Kalabagan were bowled out in 49 overs, with a 112-ball 86 from Mehrab forming the backbone of the innings. Mahbubul Anam was the main wicket-taker for Victoria, picking up three for 54. Victoria's number four Al-Amin hit 67, but Kalabagan's bowlers -- particularly off-spinner Sharifullah (3-32) and skipper Mashrafe (2-24) – strangled the life out of Victoria's chase, getting them all out for 205.

SCORES IN BRIEF 
SHEIKH JAMAL: 252 for 8 (Riyad 107, Marshall 54, Mamun 27; Sanjit 3-69, Nur 2-32)
BROTHERS UNION: 241 for 8 ( Imrul 70, Tushar 55, Arman 26; Riyad 3-29, Shafiul 3-40)
Result: Sheikh Jamal won by 11 runs
CRICKET COACHING SCHOOL: 242 for 7 ( Rajin 106 not out, Majumder 56, Pinak 30; Mosharraf 3-32, Taijul 2-33)
LEGENDS OF RUPGANJ: 243 for 4 in 48.2 overs (Mithun 90, Asif 72 not out, Soumya 22; Saif 3-38, Saeed 1-26)
Result: Legends of Rupganj won by 6 wickets
KALABAGAN KC: 213 all out in 49 overs (Mehrab 86, Jashimuddin 24, Tanveer 21; Mahbubul 3-54, De Silva 2-35)
Victoria SC: 205 all out in 49.4 overs (Al-Amin 67, Jubair 35 not out, De Silva 16 not out; Sharifullah 3-32, Mashrafe 2-24, Razzak 2-45) 
Result: Kalabagan KC won by 8 runs.