Mahmudullah Riyad's connection with Hamilton has been a deep one as the city was the site of major turning points in Bangladesh's current stand-in skipper's career.

If you ask the Bangladeshi cricketers about their favourite format, a majority would answer ODIs or T20Is, mostly because of the glitz and glamour associated with the limited-overs formats.

Much like the scenic views and beautiful weather in New Zealand, watching a cricket match on television beamed from this country is also a tranquil experience for viewers all across the globe.

Opener Rubel Mia's brilliant half-century helped Prime Bank Cricket Club defeat Abahani by 49 runs and secure a place in the semifinal of the inaugural edition of the Dhaka Premier League (DPL) T20 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur yesterday.

New Zealand skipper Kane Willamson was not at all distracted by the gap in Test rankings between the Kiwis and Bangladesh as the hosts take on the Tigers in the first Test tomorrow at Hamilton.

Prime Bank Cricket Club defeated Abahani Limited by 49 runs to go make the semifinals as Abahani --the winners of the past two editions Dhaka Premier League’s 50-over format -- fell out of the inaugural edition of the DPL T20 tournament.

Bangladesh stand-in Test skipper Mahmudullah Riyad stated that Mustafiuzur Rahman’s haul of 27 wickets in Test matches does not show the bowler’s class but at the same time reiterated that the left-armer needs to work harder in New Zealand Test series.

While Mushfiqur Rahim’s injury situation means that he is unlikely to take part in the first Test against New Zealand at Hamilton tomorrow, stand-in Test skipper Mahmudullah Riyad used ‘maybe’ in reference to Mushfiqur being ruled out.

Widely respected and loved cricket coach Syed Altaf Hossain, credited as being the first cricket coach of independent Bangladesh, breathed his last on Tuesday evening at the age of 81 at his residence in Dhaka.

Chairman of Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis (CCDM) Kazi Inam Ahmed said yesterday that there was no chance that pacer Mohammad Azim, who was first picked by Mohammedan Sporting Club (MSC) in the Dhaka Premier League (DPL) players' draft and then supposedly told to find a new team, would be left club-less or without payment.

They played together in domestic cricket and know each other better than most as the three seamers Ebadot Hossain, Khaled Ahmed and Abu Jayed are all Sylhet natives.

Shinepukur Cricket Club became the first team to qualify for the semifinal in the inaugural edition of Dhaka Premier League T20 yesterday after defeating Mohammedan Sporting Club by 22 runs courtesy of ShuvagataHom's fiery 16-ball fifty –the fastest fifty by a Bangladeshi in T20 cricket.

Bangladesh spin bowling coach Sunil Joshi walked towards the centre of the Seddon Park yesterday and was actually looking for the pitch which will be one of the main actors when the Tigers face New Zealand in the first of three Tests starting from tomorrow.

On his first assignment as the Bangladesh head coach away from home, Steve Rhodes was hit with a reality check last year as Bangladesh faced the music in the West Indies and were bundled out for their lowest ever Test total of 43 runs in the first innings in Antigua.

They have played together in domestic cricket and know each other better than most as the three seamers Ebadot Hossain, Khaled Ahmed and Abu Jayed are all Sylhet natives. It would therefore be a unique experience for them if all three feature in a Test 11 when the first Test of three Tests between Bangladesh and New Zealand kicks off on the green-top of Seddon Park in Hamilton from Thursday.

Shuvagata Hom struck a stormy 16-ball fifty to become the record-holder for the fastest fifty in T20 cricket among Bangladeshi batsmen. His innings helped Shinepukur Cricket Club post a massive 192 for four on the board before they restricted the Mohammedan Sporting Club to 170 for nine and win by 22 runs in the Dhaka Premier League T20 match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka.

The Tigers have lost all seven Test matches they played in New Zealand and it will be a tough ask yet again for the visitors

The inaugural Dhaka Premier League (DPL) T20 witnessed an exciting start with a hattrick, a tied match being decided by a super over, two fifties and a few quick-fire cameos being just a few of the exciting elements that took place on the opening day of the T20 tournament.

The recent camps and tours of Bangladesh have been marred by the injury woes of a number of national players. Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) chief physician Dr. Debashish Chowdhury yesterday informed The Daily Star on the latest conditions of Shakib Al Hasan,

The journey from Christchurch to Hamilton was not as smooth for this reporter as it was for the Bangladesh team, who reached the central town of New Zealand's northern island yesterday afternoon to take part in the first of three Tests against the hosts starting from February 28 at Seddon Park.