Bangladesh Biman has become champions of Metropolis Premier Division Cricket League with nine wins in the per team 11-match 80-over two-day single league that concluded Saturday. It is the sixth title for the national airlines.

Biman and last year's champions Abahani secured 18 points in the seesaw league. But in the net run rate, finally Bangladesh Biman became champions with a favourable rate of 1.26. Last year's champions Abahani's run rate was 0.70.

In the last match, Abahani defeated Brothers Union by a massive 129 runs at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka Saturday. With the defeat, Brothers Union were placed fourth behind Surjo Tarun Club.

Both Brothers Union and Surjo Tarun secured 16 points from their 11 outings each. But Brothers fell behind also for the reason of net run rate. Surjo Tarun's run rate was 0.81 while of Brothers 0.29.

This year most unfortunate was giant Mohammedans who faced departure of many national players from the team and brought Kenyan Steve Tikolo and Maurice Odumbe to protect the prestige. But finally, they finished with fifth position.

Not only Tikolo and Odumbe, like previous years imported players flooded the league matches. Although, this years there were not men like Wasim Akram or Arjuna Ranatunga, every team had foreign recruit mainly from India and Pakistan.

This is for the first time the league was played on 80-over basis to enable the players to play long innings as Bangladesh is pursuing for Test Status. However, like previous years the league was not double one as the organisers had to finish it earlier for preparation for the World Cup.

So far, Abahani won the league title for a record 12 times including joint champions twice, with Biman in 1993-94 and with Mohammedans in 1994-95 seasons. Mohammedans bagged the league title for seven times.

In the Saturday's last league match, Brothers Union were all out for 229 runs in 58.5 overs, replying to the mammoth 358 runs by Abahani on the first day (Friday).

Two down Amir Hanif of Pakistan contributed highest 74 runs for Brothers while one down Jahangir Alam made the second highest 44 runs. Three more batsmen - opener Shahriar Hossain (35), number seven Wahidul Islam (18) and skipper Khaled Mahmud (12)- scored double figures for Brothers.

Pakistani Ijaz Ahmed Jr, who hit highest 85 runs for Abahani on Friday, bowled at number seven Saturday to capture three wickets for 25 runs in 11.5 overs. Naimur Rahman took two wickets for 48 runs in 12 overs.

Following is the standing of Metropolis Premier Division Cricket League 1998-99, concluded Saturday:

Team               Match    Win     Loss    Points   Run Rate
Bangladesh Biman     11       9      2        18       1.26
Abahani Ltd          11       9      2        18       0.70
Surjo Tarun Club     11       8      3        16       0.81
Brothers' Union      11       8      3        16       0.29
Mohammedans SC       11       6      5        12       0.27
Agrani Bank CC       11       6      5        12       0.02
Kalabagan KC         11       5      6        10       0.09
Victoria SC          11       4      7         8      -0.33
Sadharan Bima KS     11       4      7         8      -0.42
Wari Club            11       4      7         8      -0.53
Orient SC            11       2      9         4
Ajax SC              11       1     10         2

Cricket League Winners/Runners-up

Year                      Champion               Runners-up

1974-65                   Abahani                Shantinagar
1975-76                   Victoria               Abahani
1976-77                   Abahani                Victoria
1977-78                   Mohammedans            Abahani
1978-79                   Mohammedans            Abahani
1979-80                   Biman                  Azad Boys Club
1980-81                   Biman                  Mohammedans
1981-82                   Mohammedans            Abahani
1982-83                   Abahani                Mohammedans
1983-84                   Biman                  Mohammedans

(Navana Cricket League)

Year                      Champion               Runners-Up

1984-85                   Abahani                Mohammedans
1985-86                   Abahani                Mohammedans
1986-87                   Abahani                Mohammedans

(Navana Premier Cricket League):

Year                      Champions              Runners-Up
					      
1987-88                   Mohammedans            Abahani
1988-89                   Biman                  Abahani
1989-90                   Abahani                Rupali Bank
1990-91                   Brothers Union         Biman
1991-92                   Mohammedans            Abahani
1992-93                   Abahani                Mohammedans & Biman
1993-94                   Biman & Abahani        Mohammedans

Premier Cricket League

Year                      Champion               Runners-up
						
1994-95                   Mohammedans & Abahani  Kalabagan
1995-96                   Mohammedans            Brothers Union

(Janakantha Premier Cricket League):

Year                      Champion               Runners-up

1996-97                   Abahani                Kalabagan
1997-98                   Abahani                Brothers Union
1998-99                   Biman                  Abahani