A couple of stellar centuries from Rony Talukdar and Mohammad Ashraful gave Islami Bank East Zone brilliant start as the Bankers compiled 354 for three against BCB-North Zone on the close of the first day in the fourth-round fixture of the Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL) at the Shaheed Kamruzzaman Stadium in Rajshahi yesterday.

Islami Bank East Zone mislaid their opener Sadiqur Rahman cheaply after being put in to bat on Rajshahi’s batting paradise. Sohag Gazi jolted East Zone’s top-order further after Imran Ali when the off-spinner dismissed captain Mominul Haque for 26 while the Bankers were teetering at 41 for two.

Rony Talukdar tackled the initial batting collapse with his fellow batsmen and punished East Zone bowlers at his will. Together with Mahmudul Hasan, Rony shared 72 for the third-wicket stand before the fall of third-round centurion Mahmudul, who fell for 29 this time around.

Rony therefore finished the opening day with Mohammad Ashraful without any loss of wicket. They clattered an imposing 241 for the unbeaten fourth-wicket partnership that crossed 350-run mark.

Rony, who stands 17 runs away from his double hundred, whipped 19 boundaries and five sixes in his well-modulated 241-ball 183-run knock. Ashraful, on the other hand, hammered an unbeaten 107 off 186 that littered with 13 fours.

The national discarded off-spinner Sohag Gazi, left-arm spinner Sunzamul Islam along with young pacer Imran Ali snared one wicket each for the North Zone.

Elsewhere at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram, Walton Central Zone put on 234 at the cost of the eight wickets against holders Prime Bank South Zone before the umpires called off the day’s game.

Put in to bat, Walton Central Zone fell into the combined assault of South Zone’s pace and spin bowlers and lost two top-order batsmen-Pinak Ghosh and Abdul Mazid inside 11 overs when they were at 16-2.

Shadman Islam Anik smacked 85 with Marshall Ayub for the third-wicket before breaking the partnership. Marshall fell six runs short of his half century. He whacked half-a-dozen fours in his 98-ball 44.

But Anik, who made his Test debut recently against West Indies, clobbered fifty-plus score before being unfortunate run out by Tushar Imran.

Thereafter, captain Shuvagata Hom attempted to build up a big partnership with wicketkeeper-batsman Jakir Ali but both batsmen walked out in the space of 17 runs. Shuvagata chipped in with 27, while Jakir Hom 19.

Since then, Taibur Rahman Parvez tried to extend the total and surpassed 200-run mark. Parvez was not out 43 with Yasir Arafat scoring five.

Fast bowler Al Amin Hossain grabbed three wickets. Experienced spinner Abdur Razzak and Mahedi Hasan claimed two wickets apiece for the South Zone.