ACS Overseas First-Class Annual 2015

Bangladesh in 2014/15 Bangladesh’s international season, at Test and ODI levels, was played almost entirely at home, where they proved themselves an increasingly difficult side to beat in both formats – though not without a little help from the weather in some cases. Their only Test series in 2014/15 brought them a clear 3-0 win over Zimbabwe and with it, finally, a rise off bottom place in the ICC rankings. In 2015 a two-match series against Pakistan was lost 1-0, although in the first Test an opening partnership of 312 when facing a first-innings deficit of 296 showed signs of the mettle that has so often been lacking in Bangladesh’s Test performances. Rain spoiled the subsequent one-off match against India and two-Test series against South Africa, but at the end of the period under review Bangladesh had consolidated ninth place in the rankings – now well ahead of Zimbabwe, though still with plenty of ground to make up on eighth-placed West Indies – and their ‘whipping-boy’ reputation was, perhaps, finally fading. The domestic Walton National Cricket League proved to be a three-horse race. With one round of matches left, Rangpur Division, Khulna Division and Dhaka Division were all level on points at the top of the table. After all three won their final matches, Rangpur emerged with the title, their first ever in the NCL competition; their 193-run defeat of Khulna earlier in the season eventually proved decisive. Lower down, Barisal Division were winless for the third season in a row, but at least they had the consolation of avoiding last place in the table. The regional Bangladesh Cricket League – played in a single league format, without the final that had concluded the event in its two previous seasons – was won for the second year in a row by South Zone. Four batsmen reached 1000 runs in the home 2014/15 season, the leading runscorer being Liton Das (Rangpur and East Zone) with 1232 runs at 77.00. Of the three bowlers with 50 or more wickets, slow left-armer Abdur Razzak (Khulna and South Zone) led the way with 59 wickets at 25.81. (KSW) National Cricket League 2014/15: Final table P W WLF L LWF D DWF BatBP BowBP Pts 17 16 0 1 3 4 1 Rangpur Division 7 4 0 0 0 2 1 24 19 121 2 Khulna Division 7 4 0 1 0 0 2 25 19 120 3 Dhaka Division 7 4 0 0 0 2 1 24 17 119 4 Dhaka Metropolis 7 2 0 2 0 1 2 20 18 83 5 Rajshahi Division 7 2 0 4 0 0 1 16 17 71 6 Sylhet Division 7 1 0 2 0 2 2 14 17 62 7 Barisal Division 7 0 0 4 0 1 2 15 13 39 8 Chittagong Division 7 0 0 4 0 3 0 8 14 31 Bangladesh Cricket League 2014/15: Final table P W WLF L LWF D DWF BatBP BowBP Pts 17 16 0 1 3 4 1 South Zone 3 1 0 0 0 0 2 13 8 46 2 East Zone 3 1 0 0 0 1 1 7 9 40 3 Central Zone 3 1 0 1 0 1 0 5 8 33 4 North Zone 3 0 0 2 0 1 0 7 7 17 47