Naeem Islam, an experienced campaigner, stole the show on the first day of the Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL), the country’s only franchise-based first-class competition, which began yesterday across two sites.
Naeem fought the lone battle for North Zone as they amassed 256 for eight in Sylhet, scoring an unbeaten 103 off 175 deliveries, including three sixes and six fours.
The 36-year-old hammered his 33rd first-class hundred, breaking Tushar Imran’s previous national record of 32 tonnes.
Central continued to lose wickets after being assigned to bat and were struggling on 63 for four, thanks to bowler Musfik Hasan, who removed the top three and finished with figures of three for 28 from his 13 overs.
Shohidul Islam, who batted ninth, hit the second-highest 47 runs and contributed 98 runs for the eighth wicket with Naeem. Abdullah Al Mamun, another seamer, earned a name for himself by taking two scalps.
Meanwhile, East Zone posted 242 for five against South Zone at Chattogram’s Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, thanks to a 158-run opening stand between Parvez Emon and Shykat Ali.
The latter was dismissed after scoring 77 off 150 balls with nine fours and a six. Parvez quickly followed suit, scoring 90 off 167 balls with seven fours and two sixes. Tanvir Islam, the left-arm spinner who eventually took three wickets as East Zone lost its way in the middle, denied the batter a century.