The star-studded Mohammedan Sporting Club faced their first defeat in Premier League against Victoria Sporting Club in BNS today. Victoria Sporting secured full points by beating their mighty rivals by 21 runs.

Minhajul Abedin got the initial luck when he won the toss and sent Victoria to bat first. Despite losing two wickets at quick succession Jahangir Alam and Nuruzzaman started to consolidate the innings. The put on 28 runs in the third wicket before Jahangir (32), the man-in-form, imprudently got himself run-out. Rashed Hanif, the younger brother of Amir Hanif, made a big mark with the bat with the assistance he received from his captain Khaled Masud and Alok Kapali.

Rashed baffled all efforts and plans made by the Mohammedan bowlers, who were frantically trying to get rid of him. The Pakistani hammered 8 fours and 3 sparkling sixes all the way through his brilliant knock (114). Khaled Masud (20) and leg spinner Kapali (33) gave him good support from the other end. Victoria threw a good challenge by ending up with 258 for 6 after 50 overs.

Mohammedan's regular Haq openers, Rashedul and Ehsanul, made a quiet but steady start as they carried off an 88-run partnership from 17.3 overs. Rashed Hanif, after a brilliant show with the bat, came up good with ball too as he broke the opening stand removing Rashedul Haq (41).

Ehsanul (45) wretchedly became a run-out victim after a while when he attempted to make an easy single into a tight two. Sri Lankan star Hashan Tilkaratne went in with one-down Habibul Bashar and built a 37-run stand between them. Bashar was in the best of his forms and they both looked quite comfortable against the Victoria spinners. The chipped in with singles, twos and occasional boundaries before Saiful Islam was brought on from the pavilion end.

This was a judicious decision made by Khaled Masud as Manjurul Islam and Rashed Hanif were slowly becoming ineffective. Right arm medium pacer Saiful troubled both Bashar and Tilkaratne a lot by bowling in a fixed line and length. Offie Masudur Rahman came to bowl at the other end and removed danger man Habibul Bashar for 18. Saiful, who was slowly making Tilkaratne impatient, soon got his precious wicket. The left-hander was clean bowled while attempting to play the bowler across the line only to miss it completely. Tilkaratne (playing in place of Tikolo today) made 23 off 38 balls.

Saiful Islam trapped Sanwar Hossain lbw for naught in the very next ball, which seemed to be the turning point of the match. The next batsmen from the front-tail could hardly do anything, as they didn't have too many overs left to play with a cool head. Mohammedan lost their 7th wicket with the score on 160.

Wicket keeper Anwar Hossain set up a blasting knock of 34 off just 34 balls that included 4 boundaries but it was already too late for Mohammedan to do any sort of miracle. At the end of they bunched up 237 for 9. The spinner trio Enamul, Rashed Hanif and Masudur Rahman rolled up wonderfully, claiming 2 wickets each. Rashed Hanif was adjudged the man-of-the-match without a shred of doubt.

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