All-rounder Shuvagata Hom struck two consecutive sixes in the final over. COURTESY
All-rounder Shuvagata Hom struck two consecutive sixes in the final over to help Minister Group Dhaka beat Khulna Tigers by five wickets in a low-scoring Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) contest at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.
But Hom, who was dismissed at a crucial stage against Chattogram Challengers on Tuesday, slammed Perera for a straight six before pounding the ball over extra cover much to his team-mates' delight, thus finishing with an unbeaten nine-ball 18 including the two sixes. Eventually, Khulna's 129 would not prove to be enough. Dhaka had removed half the Khulna side in the first seven overs. It started with Soumya Sarkar offering a catch to deep square leg off Rubel Hossain. And after a mix-up with Jaker Ali resulted in a run-out, Andre Fletcher holed out at cover off Arafat Sunny, who also removed Yasir Ali with a beautiful arm-ball off the very next delivery. But it was only when Sikandar Raza came to the crease that Khulna got back on track. Raza stopped the slide by putting together mini partnerships with all three of Mahedi Hasan, Perera and Ruyel Mia. He struck the ball well through the leg side, picking up all but a four and a six each though the off side out of a total of five fours and four sixes, as he struck 64 off 50 balls.
But Dhaka too never looked settled in the 130-run chase, slipping to 12 for 2 in the fourth over. Captain Mahmudullah and Jahurul Islam added 57 for the third wicket, before Ruyel, the left-arm quick making his BPL debut, clean bowled Jahurul for 30. That followed both Mahmudullah and Shamsur Rahman finding long-off off consecutive Perera deliveries - the last ball of the 16th over and the first of the 18th - leaving Hom and Azmatullah Omarzai, the young Afghanistan allrounder, with 24 required from the last 17 balls. Khulna's top five departed cheaply - they were 32 for 5 in the seventh over - despite Mushfiqur Rahim deciding to bat first. Although Fletcher has looked in good form throughout the tournament and Soumya had begun to get some good form off late, they still fell for 6 and 1, respectively. Yasir and Mushfiqur, who have usually contributed when the top three has failed, also fell early. That left the remaining Khulna batters with too much to do.
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