Barishal in final; Ctg stay alive

Two pulsating games, each with their own themes and surprises in store, played out yesterday in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and at the end of it all, Shakib Al Hasan's Fortune Barishal were smiling, through to the final of the BPL on February 18 after defending a middling total and thwarting two-time winners Comilla Victorians in the first qualifier with a 10-run win.

The conquered Victorians will go on to play the second qualifier on February 16 against Chattogram Challengers, who overcame Khulna Tigers by seven runs in the day match in a nervy eliminator.

Both games had been on knife's edge at certain points and both victors were on the backfoot in their respective matches. Barishal, sent in to bat, found opener Munim Shahriar on song yet again during a 30-ball 44, laced with a few gutsy blows. Munim departed with the score on 84 for two inside the 10 overs before Barishal fumbled, with skipper Shakib running himself out. Barishal never recovered from that point, managing just 143 for eight in the end. Liton Das and Mahmudul Hasan Joy gave Comilla a flying start with 50 in just seven overs before Barishal started pulling things back, first squeezing the runs through some economical Dwayne Bravo overs.

Shakib was efficient with his changes, bringing in Mehedi Hasan Rana and Shofiqul Islam, the two turning the game with three wickets – those of Liton, Joy and Imrul Kayes -- in quick succession. Some fantastic death bowling then saw Barishal defend 32 in final three overs, Rana and Shofiqul ending with two for 15 and two for 16 respectively.

Earlier, Chattogram overcame their captaincy shuffles and general chaos in a close victory. Without Will Jacks, out with food poisoning, it looked dismal when they lost four wickets in 10 overs after being sent to bat. An unbeaten 40-ball 89 from Chadwick Walton, during a record 115-run stand with Mehedi Hasan Miraz, saw them reach 189 for five. Khulna's Andre Fletcher then began making the score look small with an unbeaten 80 while Mushfiqur Rahim and Yasir Ali played assertive knocks but in a gripping last over, Miraz offset his own blues by defending 16 runs, giving away just eight.

Mushfiqur, yet to get his hand on a BPL trophy, felt that bowling let them down. "I am feeling bad for my team. Since we were runners-up last time, thought we could make the final" he said at the post-match press conference.