Monir's 7-for not enough

Mahedi Hasan might have failed to score a dream double century but his team Khulna took a firm grip of their National Cricket League match against Barisal at the end of the second day's play today.
It was an eventful day at the Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium in Khulna, where Mahedi could add 12 runs to his over-night score of 165 before being adjudged leg-before off left-arm spinner Monir Hossain, who capped off a fascinating performance by claiming all seven Khulna wickets which fell on the day. Monir's 7-85, his best first class innings haul, saw Khulna, who resumed the day on 348-3, bowled out for 444.
But on a batting-friendly wicket, the home team bowlers, led by an ever-green Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, struck early and Barisal hardly recovered afterwards.  Barisal finished the day on 171-6, still 273 runs behind.
Mashrafe struck in the very first over when he had Abu Sayeem caught behind. Fellow pace bowler Al-Amin Hossain then struck twice to leave Barisal reeling at 3-13 before veteran left-arm spinner Abdul Razzak took charge. Razzak also grabbed two wickets while Mahedi, with his off-spin, claimed the other. Rafsan Al Mahmud was fighting a lone battle with an unbeaten 58.
In a tier two match at the Shaheed Kamruzzaman Stadium in Rajshahi, Chittagong fought back to post 419-8 at stumps on the second day. The port city outfit, who started the day on 67-2 after the better part of the opening day was dominated by inclement weather, rode on a fine 94 from Yasir Ali and a couple of half centuries to finish the day on a high against the home side.
Yasir, who started the day on 4, put on a vital 113 runs for the third wicket with Tasamul Haque (37). The right-hander struck 14 boundaries and a couple of sixes in his 163-ball innings. Irfan Sukkur also hit a compact 65 while Sazzadul Haque struck 68 off 106 balls. Iftekhar Sajjad's quick-fire 43 and Kamrul's Islam's unbeaten 32 ensured that Chittagong crossed the 400-run mark.
Inclement weather however continued to frustrate Dhaka and Rangpur, and Dhaka Metro and Sylhet for the second successive day after the opening day was washed out due to wet outfields in Cox's Bazar and Bogra.