NewsDPL round 2: Mohammedan sniff rare title but Abahani and Prime still in race
Eight games down, three to go. Mohammedan Sporting Club sit top of the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League, though the cushion is thin and there’s no Super League safety net this year.
Key facts first
• Mohammedan: 14 points
• Abahani Limited: 12 points, superior net run-rate to Prime Bank
• Prime Bank Cricket Club: 12 points
• Bottom three – Brothers Union, Rupganj Tigers, Gulshan CC: 2 points each
No playoff, so whoever finishes first after the remaining three fixtures lifts the trophy. For Mohammedan, that would be a first DPL title since 2009 – a long drought by their standards.
Abahani, the reigning champions, recovered from two early defeats to rattle off six straight wins. “We’ve done the hard work to get back in it; now we finish strong,” captain Mosaddek Hossain said after their most recent victory. Yet those opening slips still weigh on the table.
Prime Bank keep pace, though an inferior net run-rate means they may need favours elsewhere. Coach Sarwar Imran put it simply: “Win all three, see where we land.”
Batters in form
Shahadat Hossain (Prime Bank) – 491 runs, two hundreds, average 70-plus. Towhid Hridoy (Mohammedan) – 427 runs at 71.16, a century and three fifties. Both are likely starters for Bangladesh’s ODI series against Australia later this month; the DPL is turning into a handy warm-up.
Tanzid Hasan joined the party with a breezy ton against Brothers Union, the seventh time in league history both openers have scored hundreds in the same innings – Prime Bank pair have now done it on four of those occasions.
Agrani Bank’s Mahfijul Islam, slightly under the radar, has nudged past 400 with two centuries. He was chief architect of the best chase of the round – more on that below.
Spinners calling the shots
Aliss Al Islam (Prime Bank) tops the wicket list with 22. A Narine-style short run-up, plenty of fingers across the seam, and one hat-trick already. Abdul Gaffar Saqlain (City Club) sits six back on 16 but does boast a 6-for-37.
Mohammedan’s attack relies on balance rather than a standout figure, though Rubel – yet another mystery spinner, this time for Gazi Group – forced his way into conversation with 6 for 23 against Dhaka Leopards. First season at this level, average 15.26, not bad.
Match of the week
City Club 326-9 (50 overs) vs Agrani Bank 327-6 (49.4). Abdullah Al Mamun’s 151 should have been enough for City; Mahfijul’s 147 off 141 said otherwise. His 148-run opening stand with Shadman Islam (78) set the tone before a mini-wobble. Agrani still needed 18 off the last two overs, squeezed home with two balls left. “One of those days you back your hitting zones,” Mahfijul grinned afterwards.
Relegation worry
Brothers Union, Rupganj Tigers and Gulshan CC are marooned on two points. Net run-rate is grim for all three – negative two and a bit, give or take. Tigers at least showed faint pulse with a win last week; Brothers and Gulshan look flat.
What to watch next
1. Mohammedan’s temperament – they have the points, do they have the nerve?
2. Abahani v Prime Bank in round ten – likely a straight shoot-out; winner keeps pressure on the leaders.
3. Spin v spin – dry June pitches mean more work for Aliss, Rubel and Saqlain.
Bigger picture
The absence of a Super League stage was meant to reduce fixture congestion. It has, but it also strips away the late-season buffer for sides that start slowly. Abahani may discover that the hard way. For Mohammedan, the equation is clean: win twice, trophy in the bag; slip up, look over the shoulder.
And Towhid? He’s been quietly upbeat. “I try to keep things simple – watch the ball, hit gaps, enjoy myself,” he said during a light training session. A familiar mantra, yet it sums up the mood at Mohammedan. Believe, but don’t overthink it.
Three rounds, nine days, plenty still to shift.
