Countries Bangladesh Last tournament 2015–16 Number of teams 12 | Format List A Tournament format Round Robin | |
Administrator Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis | ||
The Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League, also known as the Dhaka Premier League, is a club List A cricket tournament in Bangladesh.
Contents
History
Since its inauguration in 1974–75 the league has been the premier club cricket competition in Bangladesh. It gained List A status starting with the 2013–14 tournament, thus superseding the National Cricket League One-Day as Bangladesh's main List A competition.
In the years from 1974–75 to 2011–12, Abahani Limited won the championship 17 times. Other winners were Mohammedan Sporting Club nine times, Biman Bangladesh Airlines five times, Victoria Sporting Club four times, Old DOHS Sports Club twice and Brothers Union once. There was no tournament in 2012–13.
List A winners
Format
The competition is played as a round-robin, followed by play-off rounds among the top teams for the championship and among the lowest teams to determine relegation.
The 2013–14 competition ran from mid-September to late November 2014; the 2014–15 competition ran from mid-November 2014 to early January 2015; the 2015–16 competition ran from April to June 2016. In 2014–15 and 2015–16 all matches took place around Dhaka: in Fatullah, Mirpur and Savar.
The system of allocating players to clubs varies from season to season, but has elements of lottery. Players frequently change clubs between seasons. Imrul Kayes, for example, played for Victoria Sporting Club in 2006–07 and 2014–15, Mohammedan Sporting Club in 2007–08 and 2011–12, Gazi Tank Cricketers in 2008–09 and 2013–14, Abahani Limited in 2009–10 and 2010–11, and Brothers Union in 2015–16. Of the 22 players who appeared for Brothers Union in 2013–14, only two were among the 20 Brothers Union players in 2014–15.
Most teams include players from outside Bangladesh. In 2013–14 82 foreign players played in the competition. In 2015–16 only one foreign player was allowed in any playing eleven, although clubs were allowed to have several foreign players on their list; 36 foreign players took part, including 22 Indians and 10 Sri Lankans.
Teams
There are 12 participating teams, changing each season with promotion and relegation. Usually the two lowest-finishing teams are demoted to the second division (known as the Dhaka First Division League) for the next season and the top two teams in the second division are promoted.
2013–14
Cricket Coaching School played the first six matches but were demoted after failing to arrive at their seventh match in time to play.
2014–15
Old DOHS Sports Club and Partex Sporting Club were promoted in place of Cricket Coaching School and Khelaghar Samaj Kallyan Samity.
Gazi Tank Cricketers changed their name to Legends of Rupganj.
2015–16
Cricket Coaching School and Gazi Group Cricketers were promoted in place of Old DOHS Sports Club and Partex Sporting Club.
Records
The highest score in 2013–14 was 157 not out by Ravi Bopara (playing for Prime Bank) and the best bowling figures were 7 for 25 by Sean Williams (Brothers Union). In 2014–15 the highest score was 161 not out by Chamara Kapugedera (Victoria Sporting Club) and the best figures were 6 for 33 by Naeem Islam (Legends of Rupganj). In 2015–16 the highest score was 142 by Tamim Iqbal (Abahani Limited) and the best figures were 7 for 58 by Saqlain Sajib (Abahani); both took place in the last match of the season, in which Abahani clinched the title.
Most runs in a season have been scored by Raqibul Hasan (Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club), who scored 719 in 2015–16. Most wickets in a season have been taken by Elias Sunny (also Prime Doleshwar), who took 31 in 2014–15.
The fastest century is by Brendan Taylor, who reached 100 off 46 balls for Prime Bank against Kalabagan Cricket Academy in 2013–14.