Appearing in his last match of the newly launched competition Shahriar smashed 107 off 126 balls to throttle GrameenPhone to an emphatic eight-wicket win over Gazi Tank. The experienced right-hander will return to Dav Whatmore's camp on May 3 before the Tigers fly out to the West Indies on May 6 to play two Tests and three one-day internationals.

Shahriar's parting shot also enabled fancied GrameenPhone to shrug off their defeat in the previous match against Bangladesh Biman. It was the third win for the leading cellular phone operators against a defeat and a tie in five games.

Shahriar apart, former national captain Khaled Mahmud, Alok Kapali and new face in the 15-member Bangladesh team Abdur Razzak also played their last match in the league yesterday.

Biman, the only proven giants in domestic cricket featuring in the meet, however continued to prosper.

The national flag career all but confirmed a berth in the Cup phase with fourth straight win, yesterday inflicting a three-wicket defeat on BCB Development Squad at BKSP ground in Savar.

In the day's other match at Dhanmondi Cricket Stadium, MM Ispahani Limited snatched an 11-run win over a pointless BADC.

Biman lead the Group A with maximum eight points, followed by GrameenPhone (7 points), Bashundhara (6 points from four matches) and Ispahani, who have four points from as many games.

GRAMEENPHONE V GAZI TANK
Shahriar made the most of an inexperienced Gazi Tank attack to score 107 off 126 balls as GrameenPhone raced to 176-2 after restricting their under-strength opponents to 173 for nine in a reduced 46-overs-a-side match.

The match got off to a delayed start due to early morning shower.

Not among the runs in the last four games Shahriar started cautiously but grew in confidence as the innings progressed. He shared a record opening stand of 152 runs with in-form Anisul Hakim before the latter departed for 49.

The stand surpassed the previous best of 143 between Golam Mabud and Rafiqul Islam of ARAF Apparels against Acme Laboratories.

Shahriar smashed seven boundaries to reach his 50 in 65 balls and completed the maiden CCL ton with nine fours and a couple of sixes. He celebrated his hundred with another six against off-spinner Nizamuddin but mistimed a fourth attempt in the next ball only to be caught at wide mid-off, leaving GrameenPhone five short of the target.

The Gazi Tank innings never flourished against the matured pace duo of Khaled Mahmud and his former national teammate Monjurul Islam, who shared five wickets between them.

Opener Shafiul Alam made 42 while Sumon Barua (39) and skipper Rashed Rana (43) steadied the Gazi Tank ship after they lost half the batting for 78 runs.

BIMAN V DEV SQUAD
Humyaun Kabir starred in Biman's success for the second successive game when the unheralded all-rounder took his second four-wicket haul before giving the national airliners a fine start scoring 49 off 98 balls.

Kabir, who took 4-34 and scored 39 against GrameenPhone two days ago, repeated the same feat but this time it was against the youthful BCB Development team and in the tranquil settings of country's lone sports institute.

The left-arm spinner shared seven wickets with his captain Sanwar Hossain, who took three for 31, to restrict Development squad to 187 in 48.3 overs. Opener Ashraful Islam struck a fine 77 off 117 balls that included four boundaries and six and Kamrul Islam made 42 off 64 balls in a second-wicket stand of 92 runs.

But once Humayun removed dangerman Ashraful the youth surrendered meekly.

ISPAHANI V BADC
In another curtailed-over match, Ispahani survived a scare before scrapping home with an 11-run victory. Chasing Ispahani's 232 in a reduced 47-overs-a-side contest, BADC ran close to the target before finishing on 229-9.

Arif Ahmed top-scored with 45 and Sohail Hossain made 41 after Ispahani captain Minhazul Abedin won the toss and decided to bat first.