Dhaka book BPL final berth thrashing Khulna
Dhaka: Andre Russell's all-round performance of 46 runs with bat and 3/16 with ball, helped Dhaka Dynamites set their final berth outplaying Khulna Titans by 54-run in the Qualifier 1 game of the 4th Bangladesh Premier League T20 at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Tuesday.
To set another final seat, the losing side of this match 'Khulna Titans' will get another chance -meaning that they must to win against Rajshahi Kings, the winner of the eliminator game, in the Qualifier 2 on Wednesday.
Dhaka will play the final against the winner of the Qualifier 2, either Khulna or Rajshahi, scheduled to be held at the same venue on Friday.
In the day's match, chasing a target of 141, Khulna lost their breathing collecting 86 for all in 16.2 overs, including opener Andre Fletcher's top-scored 28 off 22 balls, including four boundaries and one six.
Ariful Haque was another double scorer with 14 runs, while the other batters were forced to leave the crease in a gradual interval, before reaching double figure.
Man of the match Andre Russell delivered four overs for 3/16 while Dwayne Bravo captured another three wickets for 10 in 2.2 overs.
Mosaddek Hossain, Dwayne Bravo, Sunzamul Islam, Abu Jayed and Shakib Al Hasan took one wicket each for the side.
Sent in to bat first, Dhaka collected 140 for 8 in 20 overs, riding on the West Indian all-rounder Andre Russell's innings off 25 balls to fire four boundaries and three over boundaries.
Besides his individual performance, Russell stayed with Dwayine Bravo for a partnership figure of 49 in 5.2 overs in the 7th wicket to carry the team total to 138/7 in 19 overs from 89/6 in 13.4 overs, before Russell was caught by skipper Mahmudullah Riyad off Benny Howell bowling.
Bravo played an unbeaten innings of 23 off 22 balls, including an over boundary.
Dhaka's skipper Shakib Al Hasan scored run-a-ball 18 with two boundaries while Nasir Hossain (13) and Evin Lewis (11) were the other double figure scorers for the side.
Junaid Khan delivered four overs for his four-wicket haul -- Mehedi Maruf, Kumar Sangakkara, Evin Lewis and Alauddin Babu -- conceding 24 runs.
Andre Fletcher bagged two wickets for 22 runs in three overs while Benny Howell took one for 34 runs in four overs.
