Taijul Enters 500-Wicket Club as North Zone Win Comfortably

Bangla Press Desk:  North Zone completed a commanding ten-wicket victory in the Bangladesh Cricket League, a match defined as much by their all-round dominance as by Taijul Islam’s historic entry into the 500-wicket club.The platform for North Zone’s triumph was laid by their overnight pair, Pritom Kumar (155) and Akbar Ali (121), whose monumental fourth-wicket stand helped stretch the first-innings total to 426. Their effort secured a hefty 112-run lead, one that South Zone could never truly claw back from. Even Sofor Ali’s commendable 5/99 could not arrest the flow of runs or shift the momentum.

South Zone’s reply unravelled quickly. Robiul Hoque produced a devastating spell with the new ball, dismantling the top order on a flat wicket that offered little assistance. His 5/53 not only broke the backbone of the innings but also highlighted the growing maturity in his red-ball craft. Though Samiun Basir Ratul (53) and Moin Khan (42) tried to halt the slide, their resistance was brief. Taijul, S M Meherob Hasan and Abdulla Al Mamun chipped in with two wickets each as South Zone folded for 172.

Chasing just 61, North Zone wasted no time. Sabbir Hosan launched a blistering assault, hammering 54 off 35 balls with four towering sixes, while Abdulla Al Mamun calmly partnered him to finish the job in 9.4 overs—an emphatic statement of superiority.

But the moment that defined the day belonged to Taijul Islam. His two wickets in the innings carried him to 500 first-class wickets, a milestone he described as the product of 14 years of unwavering grind. “It’s a long journey. I would say it’s a big achievement,” he reflected, noting that he never set numerical targets—only the desire to keep giving to Bangladesh for as long as he can. He also praised Robiul’s skill, welcomed the rise in first-class salaries, and reiterated the need for more red-ball cricket in the domestic calendar.