Sylhet, in their 'home' match at Chittagong due to the ongoing blockades, have scored 281 for 7 at stumps but it could have been quite a different picture had wicketkeeper-batsman Golam Mabud and number eight Baisya not stuck around for two sessions.

At the Rajshahi Divisional Stadium, all-rounder Mushfiqur Rahman scalped five wickets as Khulna were knocked over for 179 runs. Rajshahi were at 62 for no loss at the end of the day.

Khulna, like Sylhet, are being forced to play their home game at their opponent's town due to the siege programme.

SYLHET v CHITTAGONG
As the only recognised seamer, Tareq Aziz did not disappoint his captain Ehsanul Haq as he took two quick wickets. His efforts as well as that of left-arm spinner Elias Sunny left Sylhet wobbling at 98 for 6 just an over before lunch. Openers Golam Rahman (25) and Imtiaz Hossain (20) both fell after starting off well. One-down Alok Kapali also disappointed as he fell for only 18.

Chittagong must have relaxed when Baisya walked in to join Mabud on the crease as these two batted together for the rest of the day for a 167-run seventh wicket stand. Mabud, the more accomplished batsman of the two, struck 80, batting for more than three hours and facing 165 balls that included eight boundaries and two sixes.

The 24-year old Baisya, who has a couple of Test fifties to his name, closed in on his maiden ton at the end of the day. He was unbeaten on 98 runs with seven fours and two sixes. Their stand was broken when Tareq (3-53) had Mabud plumb in front with the score on 265. Sylhet lost one more -- all-rounder Rezaul Haq -- but Baisya safely saw the day through with tail-ender Enamul Haque. Sunny took two for 50 while off-spinner Sabbir Khan and Masumuddowla took one each.

KHULNA v RAJSHAHI
Rajshahi's three-pronged pace attack was too much for Khulna's strong batting line-up as Mohammad Shahjada, Shafaq Al Jabir and Mushfiqur Rahman shared all ten Khulna wickets.

Shahjada knocked off opener Nazmus Sadat early in the piece but it was Mushfiq's four-wicket burst that did the trick for Rajshahi. He scalped opposition skipper Tushar Imran (14), all-rounder Manjarul Islam (0), wicketkeeper Sahagir Hossain (4) and Jamaluddin (0) to reduce Khulna to 104 for six just after lunch. Later he picked up the final wicket of Dollar Mahmud to complete his five-wicket feat.

Only veteran opener Sajjadul Hasan batted with some conviction when everyone around him fell so easily. He watched from the other end as the Rajshahi bowlers got the better of his fellow batsmen. He hit nine boundaries and a six in his 164-ball knock of 72.

Number eight batsman Abdur Razzaq (25) stuck around for nearly an hour to share a 47-run seventh wicket stand with Sajjad before falling to Shahjada. Later, Shahjada had the Khulna's top-scorer Sajjad caught by Naeem Islam on 168 as the ninth wicket. Apart from Mushfiq's five-for, Shahjada picked up three vital wickets while left-armer Shafaq Al Jabir took 2 for 44.

Rajshahi openers Junaid Imrose dominated the Khulna attack as he was not out on 40 along with Forhad Hossain (9 not out) as they are on a 62-run opening stand.