Title contenders Biman appeared well on course for a smooth take-off while a new-look Surjo Tarun posted a fighting total after the first day's play of their opening Janakantha Premier Division cricket league matches at different venues yesterday.
At the Bangabandhu National Stadium, Biman shot Agrani Bank out for 174 in 53.5 overs and then went on to score 45 for no loss in 25 overs when stumps were drawn.
The national airlines outfit will require another 130 runs from the remaining 55 overs when they resumes their chase today. An easy proposition though, but Biman might find it a rather difficult task as long as their two no-purpose openers -- Javed Omar and Ziaur Rashid--are around. It was an spectators' nightmare the way the two batted throughout the final session. Be it a half-volley or a ranked long hop-- both are always ready to come up with a copybook defence.
At the BKSP ground in Savar, star-studded Surjo Ta-run scored 285 for nine in the their share of 80 overs against Ajax Sporting Club. Thanks to a defiant 87 from former national skipper Minhazul Abedin and a quick-fire 46 by national all-rounder Enamul Haq.
Experienced opener Athar Ali with a patient 45 was the other notable run-getter for Tarun.
Although Biman looked the better campaigners of the two heavyweights featuring on the day, they had their own share of problems with their Pakistani recruit Shahid Iqbal, who went into the record books by giving away a staggering 48 extra runs in his four prodigal overs.
Coming in to bowl in the second over, the tall right-arm seamer hurled 13 wide deliveries in a marathon over, which yielded 29 runs. Surprisingly though, only one run came off the bat. He was immediately removed from the firing-line. The only solace for Shahid in anguish was a good inswinger, which fetched him the wicket of Jamaluddin, clean bowled for a duck.
An erratic Shahid, who played for Agrani Bank last season, was invited by his captain Faruque to bowl his second over before lunch. But he was as indisciplined as ever, hurling another 10 wide balls in his second over that produced 17 runs.
A visibly dejected Shahid did extra work during the lunch break to find his rhythm, but there was little respite for him when he conceded another 16 extra runs in the two overs after lunch.
Apart from Shahid, the other Biman bowlers bowled a tight line and length.
Left-arm spinner Safiullah Gem, who joined Biman this season from Abahani, ripped through the Bank top-order to finish with fantastic figures of four for 22 runs in his 13 overs.
Medium-pacer Talha took two wickets for 32 runs while Nasir Shawkat, the other Pakistani in the Biman line-up, mopped up the Bank tail to finish with two for 28 runs in his 11.5 overs.
For Agrani Bank, skipper Ziauddin Ahmed Shovon scored a gritty 23, the second highest score behind a mind-boggling 79 extras. The Bank captain put on 35 runs for the sixth wicket with Mofizur Rahman. But the bankers hopes of scoring even a modest total evaporated when they lost their last five wickets with the addition of only 16 runs.
Today is the second and final day of both the matches.