Shuvagata Hom ton guides Central Zone to BCL title

Despite five of the top six batters returning with single-digit scores, Walton Central Zone chased a target of 218 to win this year's Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL) on Thursday at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, reports UNB.

They beat BCB South Zone by four wickets riding on the superb fourth-innings hundred by veteran allrounder Shuvagata Hom.

He smashed match-winning 114 under immense pressure. He also had a century in the first innings. Overall, he amassed 230 in the final and expectedly won the player of the match award.

It was the third time Walton Central Zone won the BCL title.

They won the inaugural edition of the event in the season of 2012-13. South Zone won the next two seasons before Central Zone won it again in the 2015-16 season. North Zone won their first title in the 2016-17 season before South Zone won it three consecutive times afterwards. Now, their winning streak came to an end finally thanks to wonderful batting effort from Shuvagata.

In the way of chasing down the target of 218, Central Zone lost six wickets inside 68 runs. It was just a matter of time for them to capitulate to the South Zone at that stage. But Hom was rigid with the bat. He was too good for South Zone bowlers.

Eventually, Central Zone scored 221 for six in 63.5 overs to seal the match and event.

For South Zone, Mehedi Hasan Rana and Nasum Ahmed bagged two wickets each while Farhad Reza and Kamrul Islam Rabbi took one wicket each.

Earlier, South Zone ended their second innings at 268 thanks to an incredible batting display by Rishad Hossain. The leg-spinner came up with the bat to rescue the team who had lost five for 70. Rishad scored 99- fell short of a single from his maiden First-class century.

Abu Hider Rony scalped five wickets for Central Zone while Hasan Murad, Mukidul Islam, and Soumya Sarkar and Taibur Rahman took one wicket each.

The teams which took part in the BCL longer version will now take on each other in the BCL 50-over from 9 January. The event will kick off in Sylhet.