Dhaka: A captain’s knock of 50 by Mahmudullah Riyad and Hasanuzzaman’s quick-fire 40 steered Khulna Titans to the play-off stage of the 4th Bangladesh Premier League T20 with a six-wicket victory over table-topper Dhaka Dynamites at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Sunday. 

With this win, in their 12th and last encounter, Khulna Titans through to final four moving up to 2nd slot from 5th, collected 14 points with seven win and five loses, meaning that Rangpur Riders eliminated from the race placing 5th. 

Despite the day’s loss, Dhaka maintained the top slot with 16 points from 12 outing, having eight wins and four loses. 

Chittagong Vikings stay in the race placing 3rd, by virtue of better run rate, collecting 12 points with six wins and six loses while Rajshahi Kings placed the 4th, also secured 12 points having equal win loss record. 

In the day’s match, Khulna chased down their must-win target of 159 for 4 18 overs, riding on the three partnership figures of 44, 46 and 52 runs in the 4th, 3rd and 2nd wicket stands. 

Man of the match ‘Mahmudullah’ stayed with Benny Howell to play 3.4 overs in the 4th wicket that carried the team total to 151/4 in 17.1 overs from 107/3 in 13.3 overs, before Mahmudullah was caught by Mehedi Maruf off Tanveer Haider bowling. 

Mahmudullah paired with Abdul Mazid In the 3rd wicket that played 5.2 overs to carry the team collection 107/3 in 13.3 overs to 61/2 in 8.1 overs, before Mazid was bowled out by Ravi Bopara. 

The 2nd pair between Mazid and Hasanuzzaman recovered the early destruction contributing 52 in 6.5 overs, starting from 9/1 in 1.2 overs that ended at 61/2 in 8.1 overs, before Hasanuzzaman was caught by Ronsford Beaton off Ravi Bopara’s bowling. 

Mahmudullah fired five boundaries and two over boundaries off 28 balls; Hasanuzzaman played 19 balls to feature three boundaries and three over boundaries. 

Number-5 batsman Benny Howell scored unbeaten 26 off 16 balls, including two boundaries and one six, while Mazid added 21 runs. 

Ravi Bopara bagged two wickets for 17 runs in three overs while Tanveer Haider and skipper Shakib Al Hasan took one wicket each for 14 and 40 runs. 

Sent in to bat first, Dhaka collected 158 for seven-wicket in 20 overs, boosted by the Lankan batter Kumar Sangakkara’s half century of 59 runs. 

Sangakkara played 41 balls to feature eight boundaries and was bowled out by Benny Howell, leaving team collection at 87/2 in 11.4 overs. 

To ensure a sound start, Sangakkara stayed with Mehedi Maruf for partnership innings of 58 in 6.5overs in the opening stand, before Mehedi was run out with run-a-ball 16. 

Mosaddek Hossain scored 20 off 18 balls, including two boundaries and one six, while Nasir Hossain (19 off 17b; 2x4), Seekkuge Prasanna (14 off 8b; 1x4, 1x6) and skipper Shakib Al Hasan (11 off 7b; 1x4) were the other double figure scorer for the side. 

Junaid Khan captured three wickets for 22 runs in four overs. Benny Howell and Shafiul Islam took one wicket each for 14 and 29 runs.