Gazi Group Chattogram 151 for 7 (Liton 35, Jayed 2-42) beat Fortune Barishal 141 for 8 (Tamim 32, Mustafizur 3-23, Shoriful 3-27) by 10 runs
Gazi Group Chattogram continued their early dominance of the Bangabandhu T20 Cup, clinching their third consecutive win. This time they beat Fortune Barishal by 10 runs, a slightly tighter contest than their two big wins previously over Beximco Dhaka and Gemcon Khulna.
Chattogram's left-arm duo of Mustafizur Rahman and Shoriful Islam strangled Barishal, particularly in the last five overs when they conceded just 39 runs when 50 was required for Barishal to win. They took three wickets each, apart from Mosaddek Hossain and Soumya Sarkar taking one each.
Barishal's 152-run chase was on track till the 11th over when the captain Tamim Iqbal, who had single-handedly won them their previous game against Minister Group Rajshahi, fell trying to clear long-on. Tamim made a run-a-ball 32 with two sixes and a four, but the momentum shifted as soon as he left the scene.
Towhid Hridoy tried to accelerate, hitting two fours and a six in his 10-ball 17, while Afif Hossain hung around till the 17th over for his 24. The rest of the batting, however, just fizzled out in front of accurate left-arm quick bowling from Rahman and Islam.
Earlier, Liton Das and captain Mohammad Mithun had given Chattogram a decent powerplay when they reached 52 for 2. The Barishal bowlers slowed down the scoring rate somewhat in the following 12 overs, as well as taking the wickets of Liton, Shamsur Rahman and Ziaur Rahman.
It was the penultimate over that set Chattogram for a 150-plus total. Shykat Ali slammed Abu Jayed for three sixes in an over that went for 21 runs. Ali finished with an unbeaten 11-ball 27 while Das top-scored with 35.
Gemcon Khulna 146 for 8 (Mahmudullah 45, Kayes 29, Rubel 3-28) beat Beximco Dhaka 109 all out (Rahim 37, Shuvagata 3-13, Shahidul 3-30) by 37 runs
Gemcon Khulna bounced back with a 37-run win over Beximco Dhaka, who slumped to their third defeat in a row. Khulna were crushed by Gazi Group Chattogram in their previous encounter, but this time their middle-order batted more sensibly while their bowling got them wickets in clusters.
Tanzid Hasan, Mohammad Naim and Robiul Islam Robi all fell within the first 3.1 overs to hand Khulna an early advantage. Mushfiqur Rahim and Yasir Ali stemmed the flow with a 57-run fourth wicket stand but when Hasan Mahmud removed the latter for 21, Khulna regained control.
Rahim, having struck five fours in his 34-ball 37, swept Shuvagata Hom down deep square-leg's throat in the 14th over. Akbar Ali, Nayeem Hasan and Muktar Ali followed soon after, as Dhaka's chase shrank rapidly. Dhaka lost their last six wickets 38 runs as Khulna's Shuvagata and Shahidul Islam took three wickets each while Mahmud took two wickets.
Khulna too had lost early wickets, yet again, but this time captain Mahmudullah steadied their innings. He added 56 runs for the fourth wicket with Imrul Kayes, now batting at No 4 with Shakib Al Hasan opening the batting. It followed a 35-run fifth wicket stand with Ariful Haque. Mahmudullah, who made 45 off 47 balls with just three boundaries, got out in the final over, well after Khulna had reached a competitive total.
Rubel Hossain took three wickets while debutant Shafiqul Islam, a pace bowler, took two wickets. There was one each for Nasum Ahmed and Nayeem Hasan.