GrameenPhone Corporate League
Acme in last four
Sports Reporter
Acme Labo-ratories stor-med into the semifinals of the Grameen-Phone Corpo-rate Cricket League as Group A champions with a 43-run win over StarTel at the Fatullah Cricket Stadium yesterday.
The match marked joining of the top cricketers of country to the tournament with national captain Habibul Bashar and Mohammad Rafique taking field for Acme, who finished their group phase with nine points from five games. StarTel finished with four points.
Channel F2 handed a 32-run defeat on Chittagong Port Authority in a rain-affected match while the match between holders Beximco and Syfang Fan was abandoned due to wet ground at BKSP. Group B leaders Partex are the only other side to have confirmed a place in the last four.
Acme skipper Bashar won the toss and elected to bat but he reserved the last slot for himself, wishing not to take the bat in hands. His side did him a favour as their ninth wicket fell in the last ball of the stipulated 50th over with 250 runs on board. He, however, was on the field while Rafique was in full action. Man-of-the-match Marshall Ayub was the top scorer with 64 while Pakistani batsman Zahoor Elahi notched 52. Ahsanullah Hassan with 3-33 was the pick of StarTel attack while fellow left-arm spinner Mohammad Isam bagged 2-54. StarTel, who failed to reach a paltry 107-run target in their previous match, batted well but got as far as 207-8 in 50 overs. Nayeem Ahmed smashed 54 while former national paceman Hasibul Hossain picked 3-40.
At the Dhanmondi Cricket Stadium, a delayed start due to overnight rain allowed only 28 overs per side and there were little fireworks on a difficult wicket. Channel F2 were all out for 78 but successfully defended the low total when they shot out the Chittagong outfit for only 46 with man-of-the-match Shahin Azad grabbing fice wickets for seven runs. Kangkan was also on fire taking 4-17.
Source: The Daily Star
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