Chattogram Royals vs Rajshahi Warriors: Rajshahi Warriors will take on the Sylhet Titans in Qualifier 2 on Wednesday after falling short against the Chattogram Royals, who are bound for the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) finals after a hard-fought victory of six wickets yesterday in Qualifying Round One.
Mahedi Hasan Shines as Captain and Match-Winner
Chattogram’s captain Mahedi Hasan put on a super performance, bowling well and batting well, to lead his team’s successful chase to the end. He batted throughout the over before hitting the last delivery of the match for six and then hitting the ball towards the boundary to complete his innings with two runs.
This win was especially important for Chattogram after they started the tournament without a private owner, due to the late withdrawal of the prospective buyer just prior to the tournament. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) appointed Habibul Bashar as Team Director and Mizanur Rahman as Head Coach, and the recent results are proving that these actions were the right ones to take.
Chattogram Royals’ Chase Built on Steady Opening Stand
In the battle between the Chattogram Royals and Rajshahi Warriors, the initial requirement of building an opening partnership was met by opening batsmen Mohammad Naim and Mirza Baig who established a foundation during their 64-run (11.3 overs) partnership.
Naim played a slow 30-run innings in 38 balls before getting out, and Baig managed his innings with focus and composure. When Hasan Nawaz hit two sixes at the end of the 15 over, for a brief period, the momentum had shifted in favour of Rajshahi. But Rajshahi bounced back quickly with wickets. Nawaz was caught behind for 15 runs off Hasan Murad and Asif Ali was caught for 24 off Abdul Ghaffar Saqlain.
Rajshahi Warriors Struggle to Post Competitive Total
The Rajshahi Warriors batted first and were bowled out for 133 runs in their final innings. Tanzid Hasan top-scored for the team with 41 runs from 37 balls, but his middle order did not produce strong enough performances to support him. Saqlain provided a little support to the team with a great innings of 32 runs off of only 15 balls, which gave Rajshahi some brief hope.
For Chattogram, the bowling effort was well-distributed:
Mahedi Hasan – 2 wickets
Aamer Jamal – 2 wickets
Remaining bowlers got one wicket each
Sylhet Titans Stay Alive After Eliminator Thriller
In the Eliminator, Sylhet Titans narrowly defeated Rangpur Riders by three wickets in a thriller that was decided by an incredible six in the final over by debutant Chris Woakes.
Woakes starred with bat and ball too, while there were four wickets for Khaled Ahmed as Rangpur were reduced to 111/9 on a slow Dhaka track. Only Mahmudullah and Khushdil Shah were able to surpass the 30-mark.
Chattogram Royals vs Rajshahi Warriors: Sylhet’s win was finalized in last-over
Sylhet’s hunt was undermined as the chase stuttered early as they were reduced to 44/4, before captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Sam Billings shared an essential 50-run Eight were still required from the last over, and drama ensued as Moeen Ali got out, leaving Woakes and Khaled in charge of England’s victory. Khaled hit a single and then saw Woakes dispatch Faheem Ashraf for a six.
What’s Next in the BPL Playoffs?
BPL Final: Chattogram Royals await their opponent
Qualifier 2: Rajshahi Warriors vs Sylhet Titans
Key Takeaways from Chattogram Royals vs Rajshahi Warriors
- Under too much pressure, Mahedi Hasan played a tremendous knock as captain.
- The bowlers of Chattogram dominated the batters of Rajshahi.
- Rajshahi despite narrowly losing still have second chances moving forward.
- Sylhet remained alive when they pulled off a thrilling Eliminator victory.
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