Mehidy Hasan Miraz settled a swing contest with an excellent last over, conceding just eight when 16 runs were needed for Khulna Tigers to win, to help Chattogram Challengers clinch the BPL Eliminator by seven runs. Khulna had a well-set Andre Fletcher and the usually marauding Thisara Perera at the crease for the last over. But offspinner Mehidy hit the blockhole with great regularity, leaving Fletcher and Thisara with little option but to club the ball straight to midwicket several times.
When Fletcher struck a four off the fourth ball, Mehidy upped his accuracy even more, and Fletcher fell to a skier off the last ball. Mehidy accepted the catch gleefully.
Khulna would consider themselves slightly unlucky as Fletcher and Yasir Ali had brought them close to the 190-run target in overs 17 and 18, which went for 13 and 19 runs respectively. Yasir was the one doing the most damage, hitting four sixes. But he fell in the penultimate over to Shoriful Islam, caught at deep point where Benny Howell took a smart low catch. That left Fletcher with too much to do.
Earlier, Chattogram were propped up by Chadwick Walton’s unbeaten 44-ball 89, which took them to 189 for 5 after they had been asked to bat.
Walton arrived at the crease when Chattogram were in a bit of strife at 16 for 2 in the third over. He added 38 runs for the third wicket with Kennar Lewis, back in the line-up to replace the indisposed Will Jacks. Lewis, who had made 46 runs in six previous innings for Chattogram, bludgeoned six boundaries including two sixes through square-leg, in his 39 off 32 balls.
Walton had had a pretty barren BPL until this innings. He struck five of his seven sixes down the ground, the other two over square-leg. He also hit seven fours. Walton added 115 runs for the fifth wicket with Mehidy, who also got back among the runs with a 30-ball 36.
Khulna couldn’t really take advantage of a good start with the ball - they had Chattogram at 66 for 4 at the halfway mark - but Chattogram added 113 in the second half, including 58 runs in the last five overs. They took 22 and 20 in two separate overs.
Fletcher almost played a lone hand when Khulna chased, after they lost Mahedi Hasan and Soumya Sarkar cheaply within 4.1 overs. He added 64 for the third wicket with Mushfiqur Rahim, who struck four sixes in his 29-ball 43.
His dismissal in the 13th over slowed Khulna down, before Yasir hammered his 24-ball 45 to bring them back in the game. Fletcher struck 80 off 58 balls.
Mushfiqur leaves another BPL campaign without a trophy. He made a single half-century this season, as Khulna, despite a good side on paper, couldn't quite bring it together.
Mushfiqur kept wickets and captained the side, but there were moments when his mood frayed. After a match in which Fletcher and Soumya batted slowly, Mushfiqur blamed them in the post-match presentation. Then, when Khaled Ahmed dropped a catch, Mushfiqur expressed his anger towards the bowler.
