To protest against the umpires’ controversial decisions, a bowler bowled only four legal deliveries in an over and gave away 92 to guide the opposition side to victory.
The unique incident occurred in the ongoing Dhaka Second Division Cricket League during the game between Axiom and Lalmatia Club at City Club Cricket Gound on Tuesday. The league is organised by the Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis.
Lalmatia bowler Sujon Mahmud bowled only four legal deliveries and conceded 92 runs, including 65 wide runs (from 13 wide balls) and 15 from three no balls in just the first over of the chase as Axiom Cricketers sealed a 10-wicket victory.
Lalmatia were asked to bat first. However, top- and middle-order debacle saw the side manage 88 in 14 overs losing all of their wickets. Among the 10 Lalmatia dismissals, one was run-out, three caught behind, two LBWs and one stumping.
The Lalmatia dressing room was left outraged as they claimed that the on-field umpires had given unfair decisions against them, informed Lalmatia general secretary Adnan Rahman Dipon.
‘Players are young’
“It started at the toss. My captain was not allowed to see the coin and we were sent to bat first and as expected, the umpires decisions came against us,” Dipon told Dhaka Tribune.
“My players are young, aged around 17, 18 and 19. They could not tolerate the injustice and thus reacted by giving away 92 runs in four deliveries,” said the Lalmatia official.
When queried if there was no official around to stop the Lalmatia players from such action, former CCDM member secretary of the tournament committee, Dipon said, “We [Lalmatia team] knew that the outcome of the game will be negative due to which most of the officials and senior players did not appear for the game. Even my regular captain did not show up for the game. I only got to know of the incident once the game got over in just 14 overs.”
Meanwhile, CCDM second division league co-ordinator Jahid Hossain confirmed of hearing about the incident. “But nothing has come officially to us [CCDM] yet. I was moderating another game [at Jahangirnagar University)]. I do not know if anything was written in the umpires’ report. The umpires’ report goes to the BCB umpiring committee,” informed Jahid.
The occasion is the second in the last eight days that eyebrows were raised due to all the wrong reasons in the Dhaka second division league.
On April 4, one of the Bangladesh national dailies reported of digital manipulation in the league during a relegation play-off match involving Kathal Bagan Green Crescent Club and North Bengal Cricket Academy at Jahangirnagar University in Savar.
This article first appeared on Dhaka Tribune.
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