Shakib special helps Fortune Barishal overcome Khulna Tigers

Report

Captain hits 41 off 27 and then backs it up with a spell of 4-0-10-2 as Khulna pace their chase all wrong

Fortune Barishal 145 (Shanto 45, Shakib 41, Khaled 3-41) beat Khulna Tigers 139-6 (Yasir 57*, Mushfiqur 33, Bravo 3-40) by six runs

How the match played out

The win gives Barishal six points from five games while Khulna remain on four points from as many outings.

Big hit

Shakib (41 off 27) was in the forefront when Khulna batted too. Alongside Najmul Hossain Shanto, he rescued Barishal from 24 for 3, by adding 79 runs for the fourth wicket. He hit three sixes, one of which was a brilliant carve over wide long-off, while another was a dropped catch that burst through the fielder’s hands. Shanto’s 40-ball 45 was a much better innings than his two previous knocks. He struck both his sixes over long-on, and all three fours came on the off-side.

With the bat, Yasir and Mushfiqur were the only ones who stood up for Khulna. With 70 needed in the last five overs, Yasir struck Bravo for a four and a six in the 16th over. Mushfiqur scooped Mehedi Hasan Rana for a six, having been caught behind trying the same shot off the same bowler in the previous game.

But Mushfiqur fell in the penultimate over, at deep square leg where Towhid Hridoy took a fine catch, before Seekkuge Prasanna holed out in the deep in the final over. Lintott’s catch was initially given a soft signal of not out because he was seen juggling it about five times but replays confirmed that despite all that he remained in control of the ball.

Big miss

Khulna had themselves to blame with their top-order batting and fielding. During the post-match presentation, Mushfiqur pointed at their top-order for not scoring quickly enough. They also dropped a couple of catches. Both beneficiaries Shakib and Shanto went on to make significant contributions.

Shakib was dropped on 9 when the deep square leg fielder allowed the ball to burst through his hands. In the 14th over, the sweeper cover fielder made the same mistake, running in hard and letting the ball burst through his hands. Shanto was on 36 at the time.

Mohammad Isam is ESPNcricinfo’s Bangladesh correspondent. @isam84