Sylhet clinch title on run rate

Sylhet Division clinched the Women’s National Cricket League 2022 courtesy of a better run rate as they beat Dhaka Division by 23 runs in the final match of the tournament at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Saturday.

Sylhet and Barisal Division managed 10 points each after seven matches, but the former bettered Barisal’s run rate of 0.593 with 0.621.

Batting first after winning the toss, Sylhet scored 104-4. Opener Ishma Tanu top-scored with 26 runs of 36 balls, while a late flourish by Marufa Akter, who scored 19 runs off 15 balls took their score to 104.

In reply, Dhaka were restricted to 81-9, courtesy of player of the match Fahima Khatun, who used her leg-breaks to scalp three wickets for 10 runs.

Out of the 81 runs, Dhaka’s opener Fargana Hoque scored 52 runs off 63 deliveries, including five fours and a solitary six. With her fourth fifty of the tournament, Fargana became the highest run scorer of the tournament with 316 runs at an average of 79 and a strike rate of 90.03.

Runners-up Barisal won their final match by seven runs against Rangpur Division at the Sylhet Academy Ground.

Barisal skipper Nigar Sultana’s 49-run-knock off 43 balls, and Disha Biswas’s 19 off 11 balls helped Barisal put 124-7 on the board.

Rangpur pacer Fariha Trishna picked up four wickets for 21 runs.

In reply, Rangpur were bundled out for 117. Murshida Khatun top-scored with 36 runs, while Barisal’s Disha and Rabeya Kahn scalped three wickets each. Barisal’s Lily Rani Biswas took one wicket to top the wicket-takers’ charts with 15