Cricket

Sylhet Division emerged victorious in the third round of the National Cricket League (NCL), solidifying their position at the top of the table. Their four-wicket triumph over Rangpur Division was orchestrated by the all-round brilliance of Rejaur Rahman Raja.Raja's maiden half-century (59) proved pivotal in Sylhet's pursuit of 190 in the fourth innings. His 56-run partnership with Pinak Ghosh (42) laid the foundation for the chase, which was completed by captain Amite Hasan's unbeaten 37.Sylhet's bowlers had earlier set the stage for their victory by dismissing Rangpur for 158 in the first innings. Tanbir Hayder (50) and Nobin Islam (50) provided some resistance for Rangpur in their second innings, but Sylhet's bowlers remained relentless, bowling them out for 220.In Sylhet, Khulna Division secured a nine-wicket victory over Dhaka Metropolis, thanks to the brilliance of offspinner Mahedi Hasan. Hasan claimed his third ten-wicket haul in first-class cricket, taking 5-62 and 5-88.Khulna's openers, Anamul Haque (125) and Amit Majumder (145), had earlier laid the foundation with centuries. Marshall Ayub's 152 for Dhaka Metro proved to be a lone bright spot, but Khulna's bowlers proved too strong.Rajshahi Division defeated Barishal Division by six wickets in Cox's Bazar. Iftakhar Hossain's maiden century (116) was in vain as Rajshahi's bowlers, led by Ali Mohammad Walid (4 wickets), restricted Barishal to 205.Sunzamul Islam's six-wicket haul in the second innings helped Rajshahi bowl out Barishal for 137, setting up a modest target of 68. Rajshahi chased down the target in 15 overs, despite losing four wickets.Defending champions Dhaka Division remain winless after three rounds, following their drawn encounter with Chattogram Division. Sajjadul Haque's maiden first-class century (139) helped Chattogram post 391, while Mahidul Islam Ankon's 99 led Dhaka's response of 401.

India Women Dominate Bangladesh in Second T20I, Take 2-0 Series LeadIn the second T20I match of the five-match series in Sylhet, India Women extended their dominance over Bangladesh Women, securing a comfortable victory to take a 2-0 series lead.Bangladesh won the toss and elected to bat first, but their innings was stifled by India's disciplined bowling attack. Renuka Singh struck early, dismissing Dilara Akter for 4, while Deepti Sharma claimed the wicket of Sobhana Mostary for 14.Murshida Khatun top-scored for Bangladesh with 21 runs, but the team struggled to build partnerships and were restricted to a modest total of 100/6 in their allotted 20 overs.In response, India Women chased down the target with ease, reaching 101/2 in just 14.3 overs. Smriti Mandhana led the way with an unbeaten 30, while Shafali Verma contributed 24.Pooja Vastrakar provided a late flourish with a boundary to seal the victory for India.Key Moments:* Renuka Singh's early wickets put Bangladesh on the back foot.* Deepti Sharma's economical spell (1/15) restricted Bangladesh's scoring.* Murshida Khatun's 21 was the highest score for Bangladesh.* Smriti Mandhana's unbeaten 30 anchored India's chase.* Pooja Vastrakar's boundary sealed the victory for India.Post-Match Reactions:India captain Harmanpreet Kaur expressed satisfaction with her team's performance, particularly their bowling. She also praised Dayalan Hemalatha for her return to the team and her contributions.Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana acknowledged the challenges faced by her team but remained optimistic about their potential to bounce back.

Bangladesh's decision to bowl first in the opening Test against Sri Lanka in Sylhet was influenced by the moisture in the wicket from earlier rain, which captain Najmul Hossain Shanto believed would assist seam and swing bowling. The inclusion of express pacer Nahid Rana, making his international debut, added to Bangladesh's hopes of early breakthroughs.Sri Lanka skipper Dhananjaya de Silva also expressed a preference for bowling first, having included three seamers in their lineup. However, they opted for just one frontline spinner in Prabath Jayasuriya, with Dhananjaya providing an off-break option and ambidextrous all-rounder Kamindu Mendis offering part-time spin.The conditions in Sylhet were initially wet but improved with sunshine breaking through. The pitch had some grass, promising movement for the seamers early on, but it was expected to become more favorable for batting as the game progressed. Cracks in the surface suggested that spinners could play a role later in the Test.Bangladesh's XI featured Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Zakir Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mominul Haque, Shahadat Hossain, Litton Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Khaled Ahmed, Nahid Rana, and Shoriful Islam.Sri Lanka's XI included Nishan Madushka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjaya de Silva, Kamindu Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya, Vishwa Fernando, Kasun Rajitha, and Lahiru Kumara.

Bangladesh and Sri Lanka Clash in Test Series OpenerBangladesh and Sri Lanka will face off in the first match of a two-match Test series at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Friday. Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto won the toss and opted to field first.Sri Lanka's opening pair of Dimuth Karunaratne and Nishan Madushka faced the new ball from Shoriful Islam and Khaled Ahmed. Madushka was dismissed early, caught by Mehidy Hasan at third slip off Ahmed's bowling.Kusal Mendis joined Karunaratne at the crease, and the pair steadied the innings with a cautious approach. Ahmed and Shoriful continued to bowl tightly, but the Sri Lankan batsmen managed to rotate the strike and keep the scoreboard ticking over.Bangladesh will be without their experienced batter, Mushfiqur Rahim, who sustained a thumb injury. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, will miss the services of pacer Asitha Fernando due to a hamstring injury.Both teams enter the series with recent victories under their belts. Bangladesh has won three of their last five games, while Sri Lanka has also recorded three wins in their past five matches.The hosts will be confident of a positive result after defeating New Zealand in their previous Test clash. Bangladesh, meanwhile, will be looking to carry their momentum from their ODI series win into the longer format.Sri Lanka will be keen to bounce back from their ODI setback and make Bangladesh work hard for victory. The visitors will rely on the experience of Karunaratne and Angelo Mathews, while Bangladesh will look to their young bowlers to make an impact.The pitch at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium is expected to offer some assistance to the bowlers, particularly early on. However, it could become more difficult to bat as the game progresses.

Bangladesh, led by Najmul Hossain Shanto, opted to field first in the second T20I against Sri Lanka in Sylhet. The hosts retained the same lineup that narrowly lost the first match by three runs.Sri Lanka, on the other hand, made one change, bringing in left-arm pacer Dilshan Madushanka for spinner Akila Dananjaya. Pitch expert Farvez Maharoof noted that the surface had a more even grass covering and that dew could potentially impact the game.In the first T20I, Sri Lanka successfully defended a total of 206, thanks to a last-ball thriller. Jaker Ali's blistering 68 off 34 balls had given Bangladesh a scare, but Dasun Shanaka's composed bowling in the 20th over sealed the victory for the visitors.Bangladesh XI:1. Litton Das (wk)2. Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt)3. Soumya Sarkar4. Towhid Hridoy5. Mahmudullah6. Mahedi Hasan7. Jaker Ali8. Taskin Ahmed9. Rishad Hossain10. Mustafizur Rahman11. Shoriful IslamSri Lanka XI:1. Avishka Fernando2. Kusal Mendis (wk)3. Kamindu Mendis4. Sadeera Samarawickrama5. Charith Asalanka (capt.)6. Angelo Mathews7. Dasun Shanaka8. Maheesh Theekshana9. Dilshan Madushanka10. Binura Fernando11. Matheesha Pathirana