Titans survive Prasanna scare to win thriller

If you suffer from high blood pressure, then it is not a good idea to be a Khulna Titans fan at the moment, for they seem to find themselves in the midst of last over finishes almost every time they take the field.

In the past, they stole matches by defending six or seven runs but yesterday it seemed as though they were about to get a taste of their own medicine when Dhaka Dynamites Seekuge Prasanna's half-century almost took away a game that the Titans should have comfortably won.

After Mahmudullah's composed 44-ball 62 helped the Titans finish on 157, they reduced the Dynamites to 83 for 7 after 14 overs. With their main players back in the pavilion, the game seemed done and dusted. However, that is when Prasanna, who previously had just one half-century in T20 cricket to his name, unleashed the magic.

He began by hammering Kevon Cooper for three sixes in the 16th. Those three hits displayed the immense power that Prasanna possesses. He first hit Cooper over the cow corner and then slammed him over long-off two more times.

In the next over he hit Shafiul Islam over his head for a six. Hence, from 65 required off 30 balls, the equation came drastically down to 32 required off 18.

The game then seemed to slip out of Khulna's hands when Mosharraf Hossain, who until then bowled brilliantly, was hit down the track twice for sixes by Prasanna.

While Mosharraf did manage to get Sanjamul Islam caught off the fourth ball of that over, he leaked three more runs off the next ball and that brought up Prasanna's half-century off just 18 balls, the quickest in this edition of the tournament so far and the second-fastest in the tournament's history, bested only by Ahmed Shahzad's 16-ball 50 when he represented the Barisal Burners in 2012.

Prasanna seven sixes are also a second-best as Sabbir Rahman had bludgeoned nine sixes during his 122 off 61 balls earlier this edition. Interestingly, Prasanna hit all seven of his sixes off the first 16 balls he faced, meaning he dispatched every other ball over the rope during that time.

With 15 required from 12 balls and Prasanna on strike, it seemed as though the Dynamites had the game was in the bag.

However, Junaid Khan bowled a good 19th over that saw him give away just five runs. It also saw Sohrawadi Shuvo get run out and that brought the last batsman onto the crease.

In the last over, the Dynamites needed ten runs from six balls with Prasanna still on strike. Many expected Mahmudullah Riyad -- who had bowled tightly in the last overs in the past two games to lead them to wins -- would bowl the last over.  However, he did the sensible thing and gave Cooper the ball. Yes, he might have been smacked for three sixes by Prasanna during the game, but it would have been riskier to play a spinner against Prasanna.

The plan clicked and Prasanna was caught at long-off off the first ball of the over. It was a length ball, which he failed to time to perfection and as a result was dismissed. Khulna had once again edged home by a whisker, this time by nine runs.

Cooper and Mosharraf finished with three wickets each. 

The win tied the Titans with Dhaka and Rangpur at the top with eight points each. But Khulna, with a game in hand, are in an advantageous position.

Earlier, Mahmudullah's 62 off 44 balls, which saw him hit four fours and four sixes, helped revive Khulna from 23 for 2. He was particularly harsh against the spinners from the start, taking Sanjamul and Prasanna away for two sixes and a four.

As time progressed, Mahmudullah decided to play the anchor role and started working on singles. It was during the last five overs that he planned to take the attack to the bowlers again and this time he hit Mohammad Shahid over mid-wicket for a six to bring his half-century up in style. He hit two more fours before eventually losing his wicket in the last over.