Shamsur holds nerve to hand Chattogram victory with last-ball six
Gazi Group Chattogram's Shamsur Rahman held his nerve in foggy Sher-e-Bangla Stadium to guide his side to a scintillating last-ball win against Gemcon Khulna. Shamsur's 30-ball 45, laced with five fours and a six, saw Chattogram win by three wickets.
The win saw Chattogram pick up their fifth win in the tournament to remain top of the table in the five-team Bangabandhu T20 Cup. Chasing 158 for victory, Chattogram had to deal with Mashrafe Bin Mortaza's slowers and Shakib Al Hasan's guile very early on.
Shakib picked up the crucial wicket of Liton Das in his very first delivery before Mahmudul Hasan Joy cut through the stranglehold with some delightful strokes off Shakib during a 14-ball 24. He miscued his half-hearted stroke against Shuvagata Hom to depart in the fifth over before Soumya Sarkar and Mohammad Mithun strung together a 43-run partnership to put Chattogram in a good position.
Soumya (19 off 22) had not found going too easy and was deceived by Shakib's flight to become the all-rounder's second victim and when Mithun departed soon after, out leg-before to young paceman Hasan Mahmud, the match started to slip out of Chattogram's grasp.
Shamsur, who came in after Soumya's wicket, started picking up the pace with a few odd boundaries to keep his side in the chase. Mashrafe, playing his first game in the tournament, bowled his slowers effectively throughout with batsmen unable to use the pace of the deliveries. He then bamboozled Mosaddek as the batsmen missed the slower one and was castled.
Nahidul Islam also contributed late down the order with a 10-ball 18 -- helped on by Khulna skipper Mahmudullah's dropped catch. It was left upto Shamsur Rahman to take the mantle of the match-winner with Mustafizur Rahman also hitting a boundary in the last over to help his side. In the end, with two required off the last ball, Shamsur did it in style by hitting a six off the very last delivery of Al Amin Hossain during his 30-ball 45 to take his side home with three wickets in hand.
Earlier, expectations were heightened after the day game between Rajshahi and Fortune Barishal produced a high-scoring affair but Gemcon Khulna's batsmen could not quite capitalize on the energy of the earlier game, managing 157 for nine against Gazi Group Chattogram after being sent in to bat.
Shoriful Islam removed the in form Zakir Hasan early and that brought Shakib Al Hasan to the crease. Other opener Jahurul Islam was going strong before he became Shariful's second victim after a 19-ball 26.
In Mashrafe's return to competitive cricket since March, the former ODI captain had a surprise up his sleeves, coming in to bat at number 4 with Shakib batting at the other end.
Mashrafe's stay at the crease lasted all of one delivery. A straight drive from Shakib at the other end glanced bowler Rakibul's hand and ricocheted onto the stumps with Mashrafe's bat in the air.
Shakib's own dismal run with the bat continued when he fell trying to clear the boundary off a long hop from Mosaddek Hossain, caught at deep mid-wicket. A 43-run stand for the fifth wicket between Mahmudullah Riyad and Imrul Kayes looked like it could get Mahmudullah's side back on track but the pace duo of Mustafizur and Shoriful once again wrested control back from Khulna.
Imrul left after a 23-ball 24 following as Mustafizur Rahman took the catch off his own bowling while Shoriful's yorker got the better of Mahmudullah after a promising 17-ball 26.
In the end, a late blitz from Shuvagata Hom ensured that Khulna crossed 150-mark. Shuvagata 14-ball 32, laced with five fours and a six – with two fours and a six hit in Mustafizur's last over, ensured Khulna put up 157 for nine on the board. Shoriful remained the pick of the bowlers with three wickets for 34 runs while Fizz bagged two for 36 runs in his four overs.
Toss
Table toppers Chattogram have won the toss and elected to bowl against Gemcon Khulna in today's evening fixture of the Bangabandhu T20 Cup.
Mohammad's Mithun's Chattogram won all their group fixtures on the trot before losing their only game in their last match against Mushfiqur Rahim's Beximco Dhaka. Meanwhile, Khulna are also level on points with Chattogram albeit playing one more match. Chattogram will look to keep their place at the top with a win and can bank on Liton Das's terrific form with the bat in this tournament.
The big news ofcourse is that Mashrafe Bin Mortaza will be playing his first competetive game since March after the former ODI captain was taken in by Khulna following a lottery.
If the earlier match of the day is anything to go by, a game which saw tournament-high score set and broken with tons from Najmul Hossain and Parvez Hossain, then there will be fireworks in this game too. Fortune Barishal had kept their hopes of making the playoffs of Bangabandhu T20 Cup alive by chasing down a mammoth target of 221 against Minister Group Rajshahi with eight wickets in hand and11 balls to spare in a match which saw a number of individual and collective milestones set.