The newcomers, a team predominantly made up of Chittagong-based players, struggled to chase down a stiff target of 183 runs in 27 overs set up by Beximco's all-rounder Nadif Chowdhury, after overnight rain delayed the start of the opening match. They could only muster 105 for nine.

Nadif struck half a dozen sixes in his 25-ball whirlwind of 52 runs. He struck only a single boundary in his marauding knock.

Put into bat by CPA skipper Murad Khan, Beximco started off quite steadily as their openers Golam Rahman and discarded national opener Al Shahriar were both dismissed by the seventh over with the score on 28. Shahriar tried to force the pace on a sluggish wicket at the Dhanmondi ground but holed out at mid-off to seamer Mohammad Rubel. Rahman was run out soon after, after a bad mix-up with another national discard Alok Kapali who came to bat at number three.

But all-rounder Kapali soon paid back as he struck a quickfire 49 off 48 balls. The Sylhet batsman shared a solid third-wicket stand of 80 runs with Beximco's foreign recruit Hemang Badani.a

The 30-year old left-handed batsman was the anchorman as he helped Kapali to play his strokes.

Kapali struck three boundaries and a beautiful flicked six in his knock of 49, while Badani played out 43 balls for his 27 which was laced by only a couple of fours.

The stage was then set for Nadif as he entered after the dismissal of the Tamil Nadu batsman.

The young left-hander brought the CPA bowlers down to earth, especially on their two left-arm spinners Murad and Monirul Haq. He was finally dismissed when he tried one too many slogs, as he was caught out at mid-wicket off Sabuj, who took 2 for 35 in six overs.

The port city team was off to a disastrous start as they lost four quick wickets, three of which went to fast bowler Mohammad Shahjada. Only middle-order batsman Mostafizur Rahman batted with some purpose. The right-hander scored 48 off 66 balls, that included five fours and a six. Sabuj also displayed some resistance as he struck a run-a-ball 29 not out, coming in at number eight.

For Beximco, Kapali took two wickets, while Arafat Sunny and Nazmul Hossain took a wicket each.

Debutants StarTel and Channel F2 face each other in today's match at the Fatullah Stadium, while another newcomer Syfang Fan takes on Acme Laboratories in Dhanmondi.