Chattogram beat Khulna as high-scoring night games continue

Following a concerted batting effort, Chattogram Challengers bowlers put on a decent showing to help them beat Khulna Tigers convincingly by 25 runs in their Bangabandhu Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) game at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur today. 

The trend of high scores in night games in this edition of BPL continued as Chattogram amassed 190 for seven -- the highest total in this edition of BPL so far -- before restricting Khulna to 165 for nine. 

Chasing a massive total, Khulna lost two early wickets and were reduced to 27 for two in just 3.3 overs. Their woes deepened when opener Andre Fletcher had to be stretchered out after being hit on the neck off a short delivery of pacer Rejaur Rahman Raja in the seventh over. 

It was learned that Fletcher, retired hurt after a 12-ball 16, was doing fine but still had been taken to hospital as a precautionary measure. 

Yasir Ali was the lone warrior for Khulna, taking the game deep but eventually failing to help his side over the line. The sturdy right-hander, who stitched a 43-run sixth-wicket stand with Sikandar Raza (22 off 12), smashed a total of two boundaries and three maximums before falling prey to Shoriful Islam in the penultimate over after a quick-fire 26-ball 40.    
 
For Chattogram, skipper Mehedi Hasan Miraz and pacers Shoriful and Rejaur scalped two wickets each.

Earlier, after being asked to bat, Chattogram got off to a fiery start with openers Will Jacks and Kennar Lewis accumulating 23 off the very first over bowled by Sohrawordi Shuvo, who was not called into the attack anymore by Khulna skipper Mushfiqur Rahim. 

Jacks, after a quick-fire seven-ball 17 that featured a boundary and two maximums, departed to pacer Kamrul Islam in the next over but that did not see Chattogram slow down as they amassed 64 for the loss of just two wickets in the Powerplay.

Sabbir Rahman (32 off 33) and skipper Mehedi Hasan Miraz (30 off 23) then kept things steady in the middle, stitching together an important 48-run stand for the fourth wicket between them before cameos from Benny Howell and Naeem Islam propelled Chattogram to the highest total in this edition of BPL so far. 

Howell once again provided Chattogram with the much-needed muscle power at the death, smashing an unbeaten 20-ball 34, laced with four boundaries and a solitary maximum. 

Naeem, meanwhile, struck two maximums during his five-ball 15.