BPL: Titans snatch victory from cusp of defeat against Kings
UNB
Dhaka: Khulna Titans snatched a three-run victory against Rajshahi Kings in the last-ball thriller in the seven-team 4th Bangladesh Premier League at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Wednesday.
The match entered the last-ball thriller as Kings reached close to their target of 134 and they required 4 runs off 1 ball with Nazmul Islam on the strike as the last hope, but he failed to manage the runs and instead he was stumped out by Titans keeper Nicholas Pooran off skipper Mahmudullah bowling.
Chasing a target of 134, Kings finished on 130 for all in 20 overs with Mominul Haque top-scoring 64 off 57 balls, including six boundaries. Mominul was caught by Nicholas Pooran off Shafiul Islam bowling at 120/6 in 17.5 overs.
Skipper Darren Sammy stayed for 31 off 23 balls while Samit Patel (10) was another double figure scorer for the side.
Junaid Khan captured four wickets of Nurul Hasan, Sabbir Rahman, Umar Akmal and Farhad Reza for 23 runs in four overs.
Mahmudullah captured three wickets for economic six runs in two overs to be adjudged man of the match.
Shafiul Islam took two for 29 while Mohammad Asghar took one for 21 runs, both bowling four overs each.
Earlier, Rajshahi Kings pace bowler Abul Hasan's five for 28 runs restricted Khulna Titans to 133/8 in 20 overs.
Bating first after winning the toss, Titans collected the figure with skipper Mahmudullah Riyad and number-3 batsman Riki Wessels’ 32 runs each.
Opener Abdul Majid (15), Ariful Haque (14), Nicholas Pooran (14) and Alok Kapali (11) were the other double figure scorers for the side.
On the way to five-wicket haul, Abul Hasan dismissed Riki Wessels, Mahmudullah, Alok Kapali, Ariful Haque and Shafiul Islam in his four overs.
Mehedi Hasan Miraz made the first breakthrough in the 3rd ball of his very 1st over to open his account in the franchise-based tournament departing the Titans opening pair, bowling out Nicholas Pooran when the team collection was 18/1 in 3.3 overs.
Miraz conceded 15 runs for one wicket in three overs while Samit Patel took one wicket for 18 runs in three overs.