Rangpur Division clinched the eight-team Walton 16th National Cricket League title dethroning Dhaka Division after beating Dhaka Metropolis by 102 runs on the fourth day in a seventh and final round match of the four-dayer on the BKSP Ground -2 in Savar Thursday, reports UNB.
Rangpur Division secured 121 points (+1.706 net run rate) from their seven matches with four wins and three draws to become the champions.
Khulna Division finished second with 120 points (+5.396 net run rate) with four wins one loss and two draws while defending champions Dhaka Division earned 119 points (+2.076 net run rate) to be placed third with four wins and three draws.
Dhaka Metro (83 points and -1.223 net run rate); Rajshahi Division (71 points and -0.640 net run rate); Sylhet Division (61 points and -0.307 net run rate); Barisal Division (39 points and + 0.707 net run rate) and Chittagong Division (32 points and -7.715 net run rate) finished fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth respectively.
In the seventh round of the four days' play, champions Rangpur Division beat Dhaka Metro division by 102 runs on the BKSP Ground-2; Dhaka Division won over Rajshahi Division by 134 runs at the Khan Saheb Osman Ali Stadium in Fatullah; and Sylhet Division beat Barisal Division by 10 wickets at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur.
Khulna Division earlier beat Chittagong Division by an innings and 24 runs on the third day (Wednesday) on the BKSP Ground-3 in Savar.
Meanwhile, Rangpur Division (491 runs in 1st innings) resumed the second innings on the fourth day with overnight 248 runs for 7 in 58 overs and scored 306 runs for all in 69.3 overs.
Overnight batsman Naeem Islam scored highest 86 runs off 150 balls with five fours and two sixes while another overnight batsman Shurawardy Shuvo added 34 runs on the day.
Elias Sunny grabbed five wickets for 78 runs in the second innings while Marshall Ayub and Shamsur Rahman took two wickets each for 14 and 73 runs respectively.
In reply, Dhaka Metro (437 runs in 1st innings) opened the second innings and were all out for 258 runs in 79.1 overs.
Mehrab Hossain Jr and Marshall Ayub scored 44 runs each while Jabid Hossain (not out 38), Shamsur Rahman (33) and Asif Ahmed (33) were the other notable scorers for the side on the day.
Mahmudul Hasan claimed five wickets for 89 runs and Shurawardy Shuvo took grabbed three wickets for 55 runs in the second innings.
Man of the match: Mahmudul Hasan (Rangpur Division)
On the other hand, Dhaka Division (318 runs in 1st innings) resumed the second innings on the fourth day with overnight 249 for 6 in 74 overs and scored 332 for 9 (declared) in 86.1 overs, with overnight batsman Nadif Chowdhury's unbeaten century of 100 runs off 121 balls that featured 11 fours and four sixes.
