Fortune Barishal beat Chattogram Challengers by four wickets in first match of the Bangabandhu Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) on Friday at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
In the low-scoring affair, Chattogram batted first after winning the toss. They posted only 125 for eight, and Barishal chased it down in 18.4 overs and won the match by four wickets.
While starting the chase, Barishal lost Najmul Hossian Shanto early, but Shykat Ali was firm, and he posted 39 off 35 balls to guide the team to a comfortable win.
Right before the end of the match, it looked tough for Barishal, but Ziaur Rahman hit two fours and one six to seal the match in style. He remained unbeaten for 19 off 12 balls.
Ziaur smashed Mukidul Islam for 18 runs in the 17th over, striking fours through square-leg and extra cover, and a carved six over cover. Dwayne Bravo finished unbeaten on 12 off 10 balls with one boundary, as they took Barishal home.
Ziaur's big hitting helped Barishal recover from the loss of three wickets in the 15th over.
For Chattogram, captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz bagged four wickets conceding 16 runs in four overs, but his effort, eventually, went in vain.
Barishal, however, could have finished the game much earlier had Shakib batted for longer. Instead, the captain fell for 13 after hitting two boundaries. Shykat's dismissal for 39 started the mini collapse in the 15th over.
For Chattogram, Shamim Hossain was the big disappointment. He made 14 off 23 balls, falling to a Joseph short ball, trying to swat the ball.
Earlier, Alzarri Joseph bagged three wickets for Barishal while Nayeem Hasan scalped two.
Chattogram failed to have a good start as only one of their first five batters was able to reach a double-digit score— Will Jacks posted 16.
Afif Hossain, Sabbir Rahman and Mehidy Hasan Miraz scored 6, 8 and 9 respectively. Shamim Hossain scored 14 off 23 balls, and Naeem Islam scored 15. At one point, it was expected that Chattogram would be restricted under a hundred runs. But Benny Howell came up with some wonderful shots, and off 20 balls, he posted 41 with three fours and as many as sixes.