Beating Beximco Dhaka by two runs, Fortune Barishal ensured a playoff berth on Saturday at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
Dhaka needed 17 runs from the last six balls, but they could manage only 14 off Kamrul Islam Rabbi. Before hitting a six off the last ball, Akbar Ali missed two previous deliveries and failed to score nine runs which were required in the last three balls, reports UNB.
In reply to Barishal’s 193, Dhaka made a decent start adding 52 runs in 6 before Sabbir Raman was removed by Sohrawordi Shuvo off the first delivery of seventh over.
Sabbir posted 19 off 11 balls and hinted to continue on a good form as he had hit a fifty in the previous game, but disappointed. He made room to hit a big shot but finished up skying the ball at the midwicket area and Sumon took an easy catch.
Mushfiqur Rahim (5) and Al Amin (0) were also removed by Sohrawordi before Naim and Yasir adding 110 runs in the third wicket stand. They got so close to winning the game for Dhaka. But Naim fell in the 19th as Barishal made a good comeback.
The fourth-wicket partnership of Dhaka was broken by Sumon Khan when he removed Naim for 105 with eight fours and seven sixes. It was the third hundred of the event. The first two were hit by Najmul Hossain Shanto and Parvez Hossain Emon.
Yasir posted 41 off 28 balls with one four and two sixes. He was traped run-out while running for a single off a wide ball of Kamrul Islam Rabbi in the last over. Muktar Ali came in after his dismissal and hit a six, but he couldn’t end up the game as he fell prey to Kamrul in the very next ball of hitting a six.
Eventually, Dhaka were wrapped up for 191 for six in 20 overs and endured a defeat after four consecutive wins.
For Barishal, Sohrawordi bagged three wickets conceding 13 runs in three overs while Sumon and Kamrul took one wicket each.
Earlier, Tamim Iqbal and Saif Hassan made a solid start for Fortune Barishal adding 59 runs in the first wicket stand.
Saif ended up posting his maiden fifty- 50 off 43 with eight fours. Not just Saif, Afif Hossain, who was struggling in the event, also hit 50 off 25 balls with five sixes and one four while Towhid Hridoy also scored a fifty hitting a four off the last ball of the innings and ended up on 51 off 22 balls with two fours and four sixes.
In the fourth wicket stand, Afif and Towhid added 91 runs off 38 balls. This explosive batting effort help Barishal to post a total of 193 runs.
For Dhaka, Rubel Hossain, Al Amin and Muktar Ali bagged one wicket each.
Barishal will take on Dhaka again in the Eliminator game on December 14. The winner of this game will advance to the Qualifier Two while the loser will see an end of their Bangabandhu T20 Cup campaign. The Qualifier One will be played between Gazi Group Chattogram and Gemcon Khulna on December 14. The winner of this game will march to the final while the loser will take on the winner of the Eliminator game on the Qualifier Two on December 15.
The winners of Qualifier One and Two will take on the final of the event on December 18 at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
