The national team’s head coach Chandika Hathurusingh had ordered to rest three frontline pacers Taskin Ahmed, Shariful Islam and Mohammad Saifuddin and skipper Nazmul Hossain Shanto.

Abahani properly rested three frontline pacers at Khan Saheb Osman Ali Stadium in Fatullah against Gazi Group on Thursday. But captain Nazmul Hossain Shanto was played by Abahani coach Khaled Mahmud Sujan

A bunch of cricketers in the team. Backup performers abound as well. Still, the coach did not keep the batter out. While searching for the reason, it turned out that the main bowler of Gazi group is Ruel Miah. The left-arm pacer is the top wicket-taker with 26 wickets in 12 matches. Against him, left-handed calm can be the most effective weapon. So coach Sujan did not keep him out.

Abahani management has got the benefit of playing. Abahani and Shanto, captain of the three formats of the national team, scored a century at number three. And Ruel Mia could not benefit at all. The left-arm pacer had the worst day in the league. Abahani batsmen picked up 79 runs in his 10 overs.

Abahani batters dominated Fatulla from the start. More or less everyone played well. Naeem Sheikh (33), Liton Das (33), Enamul Haque Vijay (68), Tawhid Hriday (58 not out) and Mosaddek Hossain Saikat (33 not out) all scored runs with the bat.

Captain Nazmul Hossain calmed down with a century. Shanta played the leading role in bringing the team to 300 by giving an aggressive innings of 101 runs in 84 balls with 6 sixes and 8 boundaries.

However, the achievement of reaching the champions’ run of 340 (343) belongs to Hriday. Hriday played an unbeaten innings of 58 runs in 40 balls with 4 sixes and 3 boundaries. Mosaddek Beach did not go short. He remained unbeaten on 33 runs off 17 balls with three boundaries and two sixes.

In response, in the first over, Tarun Markut opener Anisul Islam was bowled by Imon Abahani pacer Khaled Hossain’s yorker, and Gazi Group suffered a shock. In the other market opener Habibur Rahman Sohan tried but could not go far. Habibur Rahman scored 38 runs in 34 balls with three sixes and 4 boundaries.

Then only Sabbir Hossain Shikder fought for Gazi Group (62 off 68 balls with 8 boundaries and 1 six). Abahani’s left-arm spinner Rakibul Hasan grabbed 4 wickets and Gazi Group’s innings ended at 172 runs.

Short score

Abahani: 343/5 in 50 overs (Naeem Sheikh 33, Liton Das 33, Nazmul Shanto 101, Enamul Vijay 68, Tawhid Hriday 58 not out, Zaker Ali Anik 11, Mosaddek Hossain Saikat 33 not out; Sheikh Parvez Jiban 2/50, Ruel Miah 1 /79, Jiban 1/75, Faisal Ahmed 1/41)

Gazi Group Cricketers: 172/10 in 35.1 overs (Pinak Ghosh 19, Anisul Islam Imon 0, Habibur Rahman Sohan 38, Pritam Kumar 18, Sabbir Hossain Shikder 62, Moin Khan 14; Rakibul Hasan 4/44, Mosaddek Hossain Saikat 2/ 34, Tanzim Shakib 2/53, Khaled Ahmed 1/21, Tanveer Islam 1/20)

Result: Abahani won by 171 runs.

Man of the Match: Nazmul Hossain Shanto (Abahani).