Khulna win high-scoring contest against Dhaka

Following an impressive batting display by top-order batters, Thisara Perera's brilliant cameo innings helped Khulna Tigers beat Minister Group Dhaka by five wickets in a Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) game that had all the elements for an exciting T20 contest in Mirpur today. 

Perera scored an unbeaten 18-ball 36, helping Khulna chase down Dhaka's mammoth total of 183 for six with an over to spare. 

Alongside Perera was Mahedi Hasan, who complimented his partner with a laudable unbeaten knock of 12 off just five deliveries and also struck the winning runs with a massive six over the head of pacer Andre Russell. 

Perera capitalised on the platform created by the upper order batters as he smashed a total of six boundaries on his way to ensuring a scintillating victory for Khulna. 

Chasing a big total, Khulna, despite the early loss of opener Tanzid Hasan, managed to get off to a brilliant start. Andre Fletcher and Rony Talukdar not only steadied the innings after the early loss of wicket but also kept the scoring rate on a par with the required rate. 

Fletcher was the most aggressive one as he welcomed Dhaka pacer Rubel Hossain by plundering 22 runs off his very first over. In a boundary-laden over, Fletcher smashed four fours and a huge maximum over backward point. 

Fletcher kept on inflicting misery on Dhaka bowlers till his blistering knock of 23-ball 45 was put to an end by countrymen Andre Russell in the eighth over. The wicket also ended a 72-run stand between Fletcher and Rony, who, however, kept on going and stitched together valuable stands with Khulna skipper Muhsfiqur Rahim (6 off 8) and Yasir Ali (13 off 15). 

Rony, who picked up his fifty off 31 deliveries, was removed by Ebadot Hossain in the 15th over after a 42-ball 61, laced with seven boundaries and a maximum. 
 
Meanwhile, earlier, Dhaka put on a brilliant display of batting after being asked to bat. Both openers Tamim Iqbal and Mohammad Shahzad gave them the initial boost, stitching together a quick-fire 69-run stand for the opening stand. 

Shahzad, exhibiting his natural self, was a bit reckless at times but did the job brilliantly for Dhaka. The right-hander, who had started with a lofted drive over spinner Mahedi Hasan's head for a boundary, smashed a total of eight boundaries, of those a few unorthodox wide arm jabs outside off, during his 27-ball 42-run blitz. 

His innings only came to an end when Rony Talukdar had caught him short with an incredible direct hit way deep from the boundary in the ninth over. 

Tamim, who had been a bit more cautious but pounced on every loose deliveries, kept on going. The elegant left-hander, who played some exquisite cover drives in the beginning, looked a bit edgy at one point as he tried to up the ante. 

Tamim (50 off 42) picked up the first fifty of this edition of BPL but could not make his innings any bigger, getting caught in the deep while trying to pull Naveen-ul-Haq for a maximum in the 14th over. 

But Dhaka had already gotten to a very good start and were only looking to unleash the beast with Andre Russell in the middle. However, the powerful batter from the West Indies departed in the most bizarre fashion.  

Minister Group Dhaka batter Andre Russell could not do much but smile after being victim of a bizarre run-out in their game against Khulna Tigers in Mirpur today. Photo: Firoz Ahmed

After Russell tried to sneak a quick single by guiding a slow Thisara Perera delivery towards the short third man region, a direct throw from Tanzid Hasan, the fielder at short third man, hit the stumps at the keeper's end. But Dhaka skipper Mahmudullah Riyad was already inside the crease and safe. However, the ball ricocheted off the stumps at the keeper's end and hit the timber at the bowler's end before Russell could make it home. 

Dhaka, however, did not let the bizarre run-out pull them down with Mahmudullah playing a cameo 20-ball 39-run innings at the death. Mahmudullah smashed a total of two boundaries and three maximums during his quick-fire knock.