Chand halts Abahani's march

Table-toppers Abahani Limited stumbled in their Dhaka Premier Division title race after suffering a 26-run defeat in their Super League match at the hands of Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club courtesy of Indian batsman Unmukt Chand's second successive hundred in the league yesterday.

With 16 points Jamal are in second position in the points table alongside Legends of Rupganj. Despite the defeat, Abahani are still on top of the table with 18 points with three games left to play in the Super League.

After being asked to bat, Sheikh Jamal posted 256 for eight in 50 overs at the Khan Shaheb Osman Ali stadium in Fatullah, riding on the former Indian under-19 World Cup winning captain Chand's 138-ball 101 which featured eight fours and three sixes.

Opener Shykat Ali scored 56 off 55 balls with six fours and two sixes as he added 90 runs in the opening stand with Chand. However, since Bangladesh ODI skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza took a return catch to dismiss Chand, none of the Jamal batters were able to score significantly, with Tanbir Hayder's 31 the third-highest score for the batting side.

Mashrafe ended up picking three wickets while fellow pacer Taskin Ahmed and off-spinner Mehedi Hasan Miraz bagged two wickets each as Jamal managed just 64 runs in the last 10 overs.

In reply, despite Mashrafe opening the batting  for the first time in his List A career, he was unable to make an impact and was the first of three wickets taken by pacer Abu Jayed when he was bowled going for a cross-batted heave after scoring just seven.

Jayed trapped the in-form Nazmul Hossain leg-before on a duck with a magnificent incoming delivery. Anamul Haque was bowled by left-arm spinner Nazmul Islam for a 32-ball 34. Jayed struck once more when Mithun Ali, on five, handed a simple catch to the slip fielder after going for a drive without moving his feet, leaving Abahani struggling on 54 for four inside 11 overs.

Abahani slowly started to lose grip of the game even as skipper Nasir Hossain (28), Mosaddek Hossain (27), Mehedi Hasan (35), Sunzamul Islam (27) and Taskin (31 off 28 balls) tried to stage a fightback at the end, but it was not enough and they were bundled out for 230 in 47.2 overs.

"It feels good to score a hundred against the number one team in the league and it will definitely boost the confidence of the players as we still have three games to go," said centurion Chand after the game yesterday.

When asked whether the 25-year-old is disappointed at not being part of the Indian Premier League despite a magnificent start to his career -- at one point he was a highly-rated future prospect -- but Chand informed that he is only focusing on the upcoming league game for Sheikh Jamal.