Cricket: Bowler banned 10 years after 92-run over

That's a scorecard you don't see everyday.

Bowler Sujon Mahmud has been banned for 10 years after deliberately bowling a series of wides and no-balls in protest at umpiring decisions, resulting in the ludicrous figures of 0-92 from just four legitimate deliveries.

Mahmud was playing for Bangladesh side Lalmatia Club in a Dhaka Second Division League match when he hurled 13 wides, all of which went to the boundary (65 runs), and three no-balls which also went to the ropes (15 runs).

Lalmatia Club had earlier been bowled out for 88 and club secretary Adnan Rahman said they had been subject of a series of poor decisions in their match against Axiom Cricketers.
Axiom opener Mustafizur Rahman smashed three fours off Sujon's four legitimate balls to take his side to victory, scoring 92-0 in just 0.4 overs.

Lalmatia Club were barred indefinitely from competition, with their coach, captain and manager punished with five-year bans, all for bringing cricket into disrepute.

The BCB also imposed a 10-year ban on another bowler, Tasnim Hasan, and blacklisted his club Fear Fighters after they threw a separate match in similar fashion.

"We have found in our investigations that the bowlers bowled wides and no-balls deliberately to damage the image of our cricket," disciplinary committee chief Sheikh Sohel said.

"In neither case would a win or loss have mattered for the promotion or relegation of their respective clubs."

After the match Lalmatia general secretary Adnan Dipon told the Dhaka Tribune that the figures were a stand against "injustice".

"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 said.

"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."

The 92-run over comfortably overshadows the most runs ever conceded in six balls in a first-class match. That honour goes to New Zealand cricketer Bert Vance who conceded 77 runs in one 22-ball over playing for Wellington against Canterbury.