DPL week 3 - Anamul Haque continues stellar form; Abahani go top of the table

Abahani Limited have taken the lead in the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League, as it goes into the Eid break. Abahani are now on 14 points, while Gazi Group Cricketers and Mohammedan Sporting Club are on 12 points each. With eight rounds of matches complete, Abahani have taken a significant step towards defending their title.

It was a good week for Prime Bank Cricket Club and Mohammedan Sporting Club, who like Abahani won both their matches this week. Mohammedan sealed a seven-wicket win against Shinepukur Cricket Club, but their regular captain fielded for just one over and was rushed to a hospital after suffering a heart attack.

Gazi Group's Anamul Haque reached 500 runs in a Dhaka Premier League season for the seventh time, and became the first to cross the landmark in the 2024-25 season. He struck an unbeaten 149 against Mohammedan last week, following it up with an unbeaten 144 against Gulshan Cricket Club this week. Anamul started the season with two ducks, but now has scored at least a fifty in five of the last six innings, with his other score being 48.

Left-arm spinner <Rakibul Hasan and speedster Nahid Rana took four-wicket hauls against Dhanmondi Sporting Club in Abahani's five-wicket win in Mirpur. Due to workload management, Rana is playing only selective matches for Abahani this season, but he has made an impact. Rana has nine wickets from his four outings, while Rakibul leads the wicket-takers with 17 scalps.

Partex Sporting Club dragged themselves off the relegation zone (bottom three) in dramatic fashion, beating the high-flying Agrani Bank Cricket Club by one wicket. Their middle-order batter Mohammad Rakib was the hero, remaining unbeaten on 80 off 103 balls with five sixes and as many fours. Rakib kept his cool as four wickets fell in the last four overs. With ten runs required off the last over, Rakib first struck a boundary before getting dropped at long-on. He struck another straight boundary before No 11 Abdul Gaffar took a cheeky single off the last ball to win the game.

Agrani Bank and Dhanmondi lost both their matches this week. Though Agrani Bank remains in the top six, the big-budgeted Dhanmondi slipped to No. 8 in the points table. Shinepukur and Rupganj Tigers remain at the bottom with just two points each.

Samiun Basir became only the third bowler in Bangladesh's List-A history to take a five-wicket haul on debut. He took 5 for 27 playing for Legends of Rupganj against Rupganj Tigers in Mirpur. Samiun has a classic left-arm spinner's action, and likes to float the ball to the batter. He also can spin the ball, which would be an asset going forward.