Rajshahi, Khulna seal easy wins
All of the matches played on the second day of the Bangabandhu Bangladesh Premier League (BBPL) were one-sided affairs as Rajshahi Royals and Khulna Tigers romped to easy wins in their respective fixtures at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur yesterday.
An unbeaten 47-ball 56 from Afghanistan opener Hazratullah Zazai and another unbeaten run-a-ball 36 from Pakistan all-rounder Shoaib Malik helped Rajshahi Royals secure a nine-wicket victory against Dhaka Platoon and subsequently deny two of the country’s biggest stars -- Mashrafe Bin Mortaza and Tamim Iqbal -- a happy return to competitive cricket.
Bangladesh ODI skipper Mashrafe, who had last played in a competitive fixture during the Tigers last World Cup match at Lord’s on July 5, contributed with the bat during his unbeaten 10-ball 18 but it was not good enough to see his side post a challenging total as Dhaka managed only 134 runs. Tamim, who was unavailable ever since he led the Tigers in their ODI tour of Sri Lanka, was dismissed for five runs.
In the second game, another Afghan took charge to confirm a comfortable 8-wicket win for Khulna Tigers against Chattogram Challengers. In chase of 144, Khulna lost a wicket early when Najmul Hossain Shanto was dismissed for four, however, right-hander Rahmanullah Gurbaz then put the opposition bowlers to the sword during his 19-ball 50, featuring four boundaries and five sixes.
South Africa’s Rilee Rossouw then finished the job in style with a 38-ball 64 that saw seven fours and two sixes being hit as Khulna chased down the target with eight wickets and 37 balls to spare.
Comments