M'singh triumph against odds

WINNING PROTEST: Mymensingh players do a lap of the ground after defeating Comilla in the semifinal of the Inter-District Cricket Championship at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur yesterday. They have stated that their progress in the tournament is a protest against the "misdeeds" of their local organisers.

Mymensingh reached the final of the 31st Inter District Cricket Championship with a two-run victory over Comilla in the rain-interrupted first semifinal at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur yesterday.

Mymensingh will play Friday's final against the winners of today's second semifinal between Sylhet and Rajshahi at the same venue.

Riding on Uttam Sarker's 89 and Arafat Salahuddin's 62, Mymensingh scored 198 for seven in their stipulated 50 overs.

Due to rain, the target was revised for Comilla through D/L method and a 152-run winning target was set in 31 overs but Comilla managed only 149 for six in 31 overs despite captain Faisal Hossain's 54-ball 63 that contained four boundaries and two sixes. Faisal fell victim to a run out.

Shiehin Rifat claimed three wickets conceding 25 runs in 6 overs.

Earlier Comilla won the toss and sent their opponents into bat first. Pacer Habib gave his team a perfect start by taking three quick wickets and Mymensingh lost half of their wickets for 55 runs. Salahuddin then joined his skipper Uttam Sarker to repair the damage associating 73 runs in the sixth wicket stand.

Uttam played the anchor role during his 132-ball 89 that featured nine fours and a six while Salahuddin contributed 62 off 78 balls with the help of five boundaries and an over boundary.

Mymensingh team captain Uttam was delighted with the outcome as he said that the players have been playing this tournament with a mission to make a protest against the misdeeds of the district's sports and club organisers. Cricketers were frustrated as the organisers have been refrained from arranging 2010-2011 cricket league following a tussle between Players' Welfare Association and the organisers.

“We are trying our best in the tournament because we want to protest against the misdeeds of the cricket and club organisers by playing good cricket in the tournament,” said Uttam.

It was learnt that the tournament committee of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) also failed to convince the organisers to hold the league, which normally takes place in the early months of the year.

BCB's tournament committee chairman Gazi Ashraf Hossain however was hopeful that the problem will be solved very soon.

“We hope that the misunderstanding will be removed and the district committee will find a suitable solution regarding this issue to start the league. I think rain is not a factor if they want to arrange the league because some other districts are arranging the league in this rainy season. We don't think about any tough action right at this moment but we will definitely go for it if they fail to organize the league,” said Ashraf adding that they are ready to help them.