Home ›› 14 May 2023 ›› Sport
Abahani Limited’s run of three Dhaka Premier League titles was brought to a halt last year when Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club won their first-ever title but the Sky-Blues took only a year to reclaim their throne as they beat the defending Champions by four wickets in the final matchday of the 2022-23 season to win their fifth DPL title.
This was the 22nd title for Abahani in the country’s top-level white-ball cricket, the most in the country.
Abahani’s defeat to Gazi Group Cricketers in the penultimate game of the Super League stage turned this match into a final as the winner would take the trophy. The Sky-Blues had more at stake as even a tie or washout would see the title go to Sheikh Jamal, meaning they had no way but to win.
With the title on the line, Sheikh Jamal skipper Nurul Hasan Sohan stepped up as his unbeaten 89 runs off 70 balls saw Sheikh Jamal post 282-7.
In reply, Abahani got a brilliant start as their openers, Anamul Haque (72) and Mohammad Naim (68), added 145 runs for the opening wicket.
However, the duo was gone in the span of nine deliveries, and soon, Abahani were 92 runs away but four wickets down.
Afif Hossain, the eventual Player of the Match, then stepped up and stayed unbeaten on 60 off 53 balls to ensure that they went over the line, with Tanzim Hasan Sakib hitting the winning runs through cover as the Abahani went ecstatic in celebration.
“This time was a bit more difficult than the other times. You cannot say before such a competitive tournament that you will be champions. Sheikh Jamal were neck-to-neck with us since the start. They fought brilliantly and deserved it but we played well till the end to clinch the title,” a happy Abahani skipper Mosaddek Hossain said.
“It always feels good to be champions. Our goal since the start was to win the title. Our openers gave us good starts throughout the tournament, which made our job easier. And almost all our middle-order batters were in touch, which made the title win possible,” Afif said.
“The team worked very hard. I think we played a good tournament. We played well as a team. It did not happen but we tried our best,” Sheikh Jamal skipper Sohan said after losing their crown.
Batting first, Sheikh Jamal were rocked early on as left-arm spinner Tanvir Islam sent Saif Hasan (0) packing in the first over before Khushdil Shah got rid of Shykat Ali (8), and then Tanvir struck again to get rid of Robiul Islam Robi (5) in the fifth over.
However, an 81-run stand between Fazle Mahmud (40) and Taibur Rahman (53) steadied their ship but their innings were slowish, meaning Sheikh Jamal were at 139-5 after 36 overs.
Then came the blitz from Nurul, which was aided by Parvez Rasool, who scored 42 off 37 balls, and Ziaur Rahman, who scored an unbeaten 29 off just 14 balls.
The last 10 overs of the Sheikh Jamal innings produced 123 runs, which seemed to have tilted the game in their favour.
Still, Anamul and Naim’s opening stand once again turned the game in Abahani’s favour as they added 145 runs in 26.2 overs. But after both were dismissed in quick time, followed by Mahmudul Hasan Joy’s (9) and Jaker Ali Anik’s (21) dismissal, Abahani seemed to be in some trouble.
However, a 68-run partnership between Afif and Mosaddek (22) saw them get close to the target, and despite the latter and Khushdil getting out in quick succession, Abahani reached home with four balls in hand, with Afif staying unbeaten on 60, hitting four fours and two sixes.
