Records tumble as Sunzamul Islam leads Rajshahi’s demolition of Barisal

The match ended before lunch on the second day, with Junaid Siddique’s 43 the best individual batting effort

Rajshahi Division 151 (Siddique 43, Taijul 37, Tanzid 36, Gazi 6-65) beat Barisal Division 82 (Sunzamul 4-18, Taijul 4-39) and 60 (Sunzamul 6-15, Taijul 4-23) by an innings and nine runs

Sunzamul Islam‘s record-breaking 10 for 33 and Player-of-the-Match Taijul Islam‘s eight wickets sent Barisal Division crashing to an innings-and-nine-run defeat before lunch on the second day of their National Cricket League match against Rajshahi Division in Savar on Tuesday. Barisal were bowled out for 82 and 60, after electing to bat first, while Rajshahi managed to put up 151 in their only hit as they went on to record their first win of the season.

Stat highlights

• Barisal’s match aggregate of 142 runs is the lowest for a team in a match in Bangladesh’s first-class history. The record had stood in the name of BCB Academy, who had scored a total of 167 runs against the visiting Zimbabweans in 2009. In the Bangladesh domestic circuit, Chittagong Division’s 180 against Rajshahi in 2011 was the previous lowest.
• Sunzamul’s 10 for 33 is the most economical haul of ten or more wickets in Bangladesh’s first-class history, topping the earlier mark by Ruyel Miah of Sylhet Division, from two seasons ago – Miah had 13 for 65 against Chittagong.

Barisal’s collapse on the second morning – they began the day on 23 for 1 and got to 53 for 2 – was dramatic, as they lost their last eight wickets for only seven runs in 10.3 overs. The wickets were shared between Sunzamul and Taijul – the former taking 6 for 15, to go with his 4 for 18 in the first innings, and the latter picking up 4 for 23 for a match haul of 8 for 62.

Despite the ten-for, Sunzamul didn’t get the match award as Taijul’s 37 from 42 balls – from No. 10 – in a moderate batting effort by his team made a difference to the outcome of the game.

The day started with Sunzamul removing nightwatchman Kamrul Islam Rabbi in the ninth over of the morning. At that stage, Barisal looked set to catch up with Rajshahi’s 69-run lead, but then Sunzamul bowled Moinul Islam Sohel for 28, and that triggered the slide. Captain Fazle Rabbi, Salman Hossain, Sohag Gazi and Tanvir Islam all fell to Sunzamul, and Taijul accounted for the rest.

In their batting innings, Rajshahi were well served by Tanzid Hasan, the opener, and Junaid Siddique, the No. 3 batsman, apart from Taijul. Hasan scored a run-a-ball 36 with five fours and a six, while Siddique hit 43 in close to two-and-a-half hours – that was the best individual score in the match. Gazi picked up 6 for 65, his first five-wicket haul in three seasons.