Image Credit- Fortune Barishal
Fortune Barishal, who defeated Rangpur Riders by six
wickets in the second qualifier at a crowded Shere Bangla National Stadium,
will take on Comilla Victorians in the BPL final on Friday. After James Fuller
and Mohammed Saifuddin held Rangpur to a minimum, Mushfiqur Rahim led their
150-run chase with an undefeated 47.
Rangpur was only able to stay in the game thanks to Shamim Hossain’s undefeated
59 off 24 before Mushfiqur and Kyle Mayers made sure Barishal had a largely
risk-free chase.
As early as the second over of the Rangpur innings, it
was Mohammad Saifuddin who delivered two crucial blows. With a full,
outswinging ball, he dismissed Mahedi Hasan, but Shakib Al Hasan’s hack across
the line gave him the advantage, as wicketkeeper Mushfiqur securely collected
both catches.
After circling for eleven balls, Rony Talukdar was
caught at the deep square-leg boundary, and then Nicholas Pooran holed out to
Soumya Sarkar, who was sprinting in from long on off Mehidy Hasan Miraz. With
just one ball remaining, James Neesham denied Fuller, leaving Rangpur trailing
48 for five. In the fifteenth over, Fuller removed Mohammad Nabi and Nurul
Hasan to further solidify Barishal’s lead.
With the score at 77 for seven, Rangpur had little
chance of winning. But Shamim had other plans. To get himself going, he played
a switch-hit off Mehidy in the 16th over. In his next eight balls, he past Obed
McCoy for 36. Of those, twenty-six came in the last over, where Shamim first
used a switch-hit to smacked him over deep third, then he pulled one over a
short fine leg for four. After that, he misplayed a scoop over the
wicketkeeper’s head for a six after playing the pick-up shot over midwicket. With
a lengthy cover drive to end the over, he reached his first 20-ball fifty of
the year.
In the fourth over, Abu Hider completely upset
Barishal’s chase by getting rid of Mehidy and Tamim Iqbal in three balls. Tamim
blasted one straight to mid-off after hitting the left-arm quick for a four.
Then, for eight, Hider trapped Mehidy lbw. Mushfiqur and Soumya put things in
check with a third-wicket stand of 47 runs. Before being bowled out for 22 by
Mohammad Nabi, Soumya hit two fours and a six.
Then, Kyle Mayers struck gold, hitting 28 off 15 balls with three sixes and a
four. His renowned back-foot punch six, which he delivered just before he holed
out to Fazalhaq Farooqi, was one of those sixes. After Barishal’s chase was
reduced to less than a run per ball by Mayers’ explosion, David Miller (22 off
18 balls) and Mushfiqur combined for a 33-run stand to seal the win with nine
balls remaining.