Barishal snatch victory from the jaws of Khulna Tigers

Fortune Barishal notched up their second win in the ongoing Bangabandhu Bangladesh Premier League by beating Khulna Tigers by 17 runs. They defended a below par 142 successfully as Khulna, while chasing, lost their last six wickets for 42 runs in between the 15th and 19th over. 

Khulna were cruising along at one stage but Shafiqul Islam and Jake Lintott brought them back by dismissing the Sri Lankan duo of Thisara Perera and Sekkuge Prasanna in quick succession. Then Mehedi Hasan Rana triggered another collapse in the lower order and got his team across the line by scalping up Khulna captain Mushfiqur Rahim. 

Invited to bat first, Fortune Barishal made a lot of experiments with the batting order, the first one being sending Jake Lintott to open the innings. He was partnered by Chris Gayle who inaugurated the innings for the first time in the tournament. 

The start was fantastic. Gayle hit Kamrul Islam for three fours in the first over. Lintott too hit two boundaries in successive balls but was cleaned up by Sharifullah. 

Ziaur Rahman and Nurul Hasan were promoted up the order but none of them could make an impression. Gayle, though, found boundaries regularly but leg-spinner Sekkuge Prasanna got him out caught in the 11th over. The southpaw scored 45 off 34 balls. His innings involved six fours and two sixes.

Towhid Hridoy and Najmul Hossain Shanto did a bit of consolidation work with a 35-run stand for the fifth wicket but the former lost his wicket in the 17th over in an attempt to get a move-on. He scored 23.

Shakib Al Hasan walked out to bat at as low as seven but could not score more than nine. After his departure, no batter could hit a single boundary. Barishal finished with 141 for nine.

Khulna pulled things back big time in the middle phase and slog overs. They gave away just 66 runs and picked up seven wickets. Thisara Perera, Farhad Reza and Kamrul Islam picked up two wickets apiece. 

Andre Fletcher could not repeat what he did 24 hours ago against Chattogram and got out in the very first over itself bowled by Mujeeb ur Rahman.  Soumya Sarkar once again failed with the bat and this time he made a golden duck.

Mahedi Hasan was promoted up the order to make some quick runs but he couldn't get in. He hit Shakib for a six but got himself dismissed in the same over. Lintott accounted for the wicket of Lintott and Khulna were in all sorts of trouble at 48 for four at the 10-over mark, still requiring 94 off the last 10. 

Yasir Ali and Mushfiqur Rahim calmed some nerves with a partnership of 46 runs but the former was dismissed in the 15th over against the run of play. Yasir scored 23. Khulna still needed 56 off 5.3 overs. 

Thisara Perera played a quick-fire knock of 19 off nine but his dismissal in the 17th over turned the match on its head. Lintott took a brilliant catch and Shafiqul Islam took the wicket. Khulna needed 31 off three. 

The big-hitting Sekkuge Prasanna holed out in the next over, leaving Mushfiqur in the middle to finish the job. 

Mehedi Hasan Rana bowled a dramatic penultimate over as he saw Mushfiqur Rahim getting dropped and one ball later, Farhad Reza dismissed. The left-arm seamer sent back Sharifullah and Mushfiqur in consecutive deliveries to finish things off. Mushfiqur's 40 off 36 went in vain. Rana finished with four for 17. He was adjudged the player of the match.