Agency :
Fortune Barishal’s late show secure a 17-run win over Khulna Tigers in the ongoing Bangabandhu Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram on Saturday.
Despite Mushfiqur Rahim’s cautious batting, Khulna managed to score 124 losing all wickets while chasing 142 runs. Mehedi Hasan Rana was the pick of the bowling attack as he took four wickets for 17 runs in his three overs.
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.
Chris Gayle got back to his favourite opening position and top-scored for the side with 45 off 34 that included six fours and two sixes. Towhid Hridoy was the other notable scorer with 23 while Nazmul Hossain Shanto made 19. Captain Shakib Al Hasan continued his bad patch with batting and made just 9 runs this time.
Kamrul Islam Rabbi and Thisara Perera took two wickets for Khulna, who now lost two consecutive matches after winning first two games in BPL.
Barishal Afghanistan recruit Mujeeb Ur Rahman, playing his first match in BPL in this season, gave Khulna the initial setback, dismissing openers Andre Fletcher (4) and Soumya Sarkar for duck.
Jake Lintott then took the wicket of inform Rony Talukdar for 14, leaving the onus Mushfiqur Rahim to bail the side out of danger.
Mushfiqur however did well to keep one end intact and got an ably support from Yasir Ali after Shakib, who bagged one wicket for 24 runs, removed Mahedi Hasan for 17.
Rana then got into act, getting rid of Yasir for 23 but Thisara Perera helped Khulna hit back with 9 ball-19. He looked set to take Khulna home before Shafiqul (1-30) got the prized scalp.
Rana then cleaned up the tail and also took Mushfiqur Rahim to give Barishal the victory.
