Shakib ton not enough to save Sheikh Jamal from defeat against Gazi Group

Shakib Al Hasan scored his first hundred after almost five years, but that wasn't enough to save Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi club from a defeat against Gazi Group Cricketers in the ongoing DPL on Friday. Gazi Group's Mahfuzur Rabby trumped Shakib's hundred to take his side home.

Playing for Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club, Shakib bagged his 10th List-A hundred against Gazi Group Cricketers, scoring 107 runs from 79 deliveries at a strike rate of 135.44 in BKSP-4 Ground at Savar.

This was actually Shakib's maiden hundred in domestic List-A cricket. All his previous nine List-A hundreds came in ODI cricket playing for the Bangladesh national team.

The southpaw came in to bat at number five when his team was kind of struggling at 63/3 after 18.1 overs. Shakib played in his usual way, hitting nine boundaries and seven maximums in his quickfire innings.

Shakib took 73 balls to reach his century. He was cautious after reaching 96 with a maximum and took four singles afterwards to reach his hundred. 

Thanks to Shakib, Sheikh Jamal posted a respectable total of 280/9 in their 50 overs. Apart from Shakib, Yasir Ali Chowdhury scored 71 runs.

Chasing 281, Gazi Group lost a few early wickets. At one point, they were four down for 54 in the 11th over. 

But Mahfuzur Rabby and Sabbir Hossain Shikder remained calm and kept the hunt going.

Sabbir departed for 64 but Rabby bagged his hundred. The southpaw who recently led Bangladesh in the U-19 World Cup a few months ago, scored 125 runs from 118 balls hitting three boundaries and 12 maximums.

Shakib was wicketless with the ball in hand. Gazi Group eventually reached the target keeping two balls and two wickets in hand.

In the day's other matches, Abahani beat their arch-rivals Mohammedan Sporting Club by 9 runs thanks to a ton from skipper Mosaddek Hossain. Abahani's Sabbir Hossain also played a knock of 91 runs with the bat.

Prime Bank beat Shinepukur Cricket Club by 111 runs. Prime Bank's captain Zakir Hasan played a scintillating knock of 157 from 130 balls