Khulna thrash Ctg in BPL
Sports Reporter
Khulna Titans consolidated their position on the points table thrashing Chittagong Vikings by five wickets in their sixth but fourth match of the Dhaka leg of Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) yesterday. On the dew-drenched outfield of Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium (SBNCS) in Mirpur, Titans captain Mahmudullah Riyad opted to field first and allowed Chittagong Vikings to muster 160 and chased the total down by Mahmudullahs blistering batting.
Chasing the target, Khulna Titans lost their opener Michael Klinger inside two overs. Thereafter, Rilee Roussow attempted to accelerate the strike with the help of the fellow batsmen and combined for 39 with Dhiman Ghosh for the second wicket before the latters dismissal.
Just six runs later, Roussow followed Dhimans suit and fell one run shy of his half century. He walloped three big sixes and five boundaries in 26-ball 49 and was later adjudged man of the match.
Mahmudullah then rotated the strike with fellow batsmen. The veteran campaigner shared 19-run on the fourth wicket with Nazmul Hossain Shanto and a gusty 70 runs with Ariful Haque (34) for the fifth wicket stand that virtually sent them close to their third victory.
After Ariful Haques fall, Mahmudullah crossed the rest of the path with Carlos Brathwaite in an emphatic vein. Mahmudullah was on 48 off 35 at stumps that contained four fours and one six. Brathwaithe remained unbeaten on 10 off two balls, hitting one six and as many four. Earlier Anamul Haque Bijoys blistering 62 engineered Chiitagong Vikings fighting total of 160 against the Titans. Put in to bat first, Chittagong fumbled in the very first over when they lost opener Luke Ronchi. In-form Ronchi fell for three. But they repaired their inning soon thanks to blazing knocks from Anamul Haque and Soumya Sarkar-- the duo pulled together 95 runs for
the second wicket stand before Soumyas exit. Soumya, who failed to capitalise on being dropped trice on 25, 30 and 31, trudged back to the pavilion with 32.
Therefore, Bijoy-the wicketkeeper-batsman of Vikings, tried to stretch the innings with his fellow batsmen. Finally Bijoy clouted 62 off 47 that was studded by three sixes and five boundaries.
Bijoy earlier completed his fifty in a marauding manner when he slashed a short and wide delivery off Mahmudullah Riyad for boundary with a cut past backward point. He played just 37 deliveries to bring up his first BPL fifty in the 2017 season.
Khulnas bowlers halted Chittagongs progress removing three batsmen in the space of seven runs including well-set Soumya Sarkar and Anamul Haque alongside Sikandar Raza, who walked back with a duck.
Together with Stayne Van Zyle, Najibullah Zardans late fire of 50 runs for the fifth wicket partnership finally gave Vikings a chance to taste their second win off their six outings.
Both Chittagong and Khulna were desperate to win the match and both brought changes to their playing XI. Khulna left out Jofra Archer and Akila Dananjaya and brought in Seekugge Prasanna and Kyle Abbott. Chittagong, dropped Misbah-ul-Haq, Dilshan Munaweera and Subashis Roy and in their place came in Stiaan van Zyl, Najibullah Zadran and Al Amin Junior. Luke Ronchi is captaining Chittagong.
En route to their 50-stand, both Zardan and Van Zyl received several lives. Afghan all-rounder Zardan clattered 24 before being run-out, while Van Zyle clubbed 13-ball 23 with two sixes to remain not out. Pacer Abu Jayed Rahi picked up three wickets, while spinner Mahmudullah grabbed one for Khulna Titans.
