Chadwick Walton hammered a brilliant 44 ball-89 not out as Chattogram Challengers recovered from a shaky start to beat Khulna Tigers by 7 runs in the Eliminator game of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium Monday.
While the outcome of the match eliminated Khulna straightway, Chattogram kept their final hope alive. They will now take on the loser between Fortune Barishal and Comilla Victorians in the second Qualifier on Wednesday.
Walton’s pyrotechnics guided Chattogram to 189-5 after which the bowlers bowled well in tandem to limit Khulna for 182-5 despite a 58 ball-80 not out of Andre Fletcher.
Fletcher though brought back Khulna into the game, he couldn’t quite live up to the expectation in the last over when his side needed 16 runs to win the game. Specially he got two loose deliveries from Mehidy Hasan Miraz in the fourth and fifth ball of that over, which he couldn’t connect well surprisingly. In the fourth ball though he got a boundary, it came actually for the shocking misfield from the Khulna fielders.
Fletcher, who hit a century in the previous match, broke down in tears after the match but he was the reason for Khulna’s rejuvenation in the high-scoring thriller.
Chasing the big target, Khulna were reduced to 43-2 as they lost Mahedi Hasan for 2 and Soumya Sarkar for 1, which meant the bulk of the runs came from Fletcher’s willow. Thanks to him, Khulna utilized the powerplay well to keep the asking run rate under control.
Mushfiqur Rahim joined Fletcher and together they combined for 64-run for the third wicket after which Mushfiqur was dismissed by Miraz for 43 off 29, hitting one four and four sixes.
Yasir Ali then struck a whirlwind 45 off 24 with two fours and four towering sixes as Khulna sensed a victory. But his dismissal in the penultimate over by Shoriful Islam ruined the momentum as Fletcher and Thisara Perera couldn’t take big hit, required to win the game. Perera was out in the last ball for 3.
Miraz took two wickets for 40 while Nasum Ahmed, Shoriful and Mrittunjoy Chowdhury grabbed one wicket apiece.
Before the game, Chattogram received a setback when their inform opener Will Jacks was sidelined with a stomach bug.
They were put into bat first after losing the toss and then got another setback when opener Zakir Hasan was dismissed for duck and captain Afif Hossain was removed for 3, leaving the side to a precarious 16-2 in fourth over.
Opener Kennar Lewis however kept the side rolling, hitting a 32 ball-39 that included four fours and two sixes.
But Khulna again hit back, getting rid of Lewis and Shamim Patwari (10) in quick succession.
Walton then resisted and got an ably support from Mehidy Hasan Miraz as they shared 115-run for the fifth wicket to propel the side to a strong position.
Miraz scored 36 off 30 with two fours and one six. Walton however remained not out on 89 off 44, clobbering seven fours as many sixes.
Fast bowler Syed Khaled Ahmed claimed 2-40 for Khulna while Nabil Samad, Ruyel Miah and Mahedi Hasan took one wicket apiece.
