Iftikhar, bowlers script easy win for Barishal over Chattogram

Chattogram Challengers crumbled under the weight of Fortune Barishal’s pile of runs, losing their first match at their home ground by 26 runs at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium on Friday.

Pakistan’s Usman Khan smashed 32 off 19 balls at the top of the innings and local all-rounder Ziaur Rahman hit a blistering 25-ball 47 but insipid showing from the rest of the batters meant Chattogram could only reach 176-4 in 20 overs.

Earlier, Iftikhar Ahmed’s swashbuckling 57 off 26 balls and after Ibrahim Zadran 48 off 33 balls powered Fortune Barishal to 202-7 after they were asked to bat first in the first match of the Chattogram phase of the ninth Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

Chasing 203, Chattogram got an ideal start at the powerplay, reaching 57-1 after six overs thanks to Usman’s blitz.

Usman, who hit an unbeaten century in the previous match, struck three fours and the same number of sixes to show signs of repeating what he did just a few days back at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka.

But that wasn’t to be as in the fifth over, he was brilliantly caught by Sunzamul Islam at point the region off Kamrul Islam.

After his dismissal, Chattogram lost its momentum. Dutch opener Max O’Dowd and India’s Unmukt Chand couldn’t get going at an ideal batting track at the ZACS, consuming 35 balls to add just 33 runs for the second wicket.

Shakib Al Hasan dismissed O’Dowd for a run-a-ball 29 and Chand got clean bowled by Karim Janat after making just 16 off 21 balls, leaving Chattogram stranded on 88-3 after 12.3 overs.

The match was out of Chattogram’s reach by then, as they needed 115 runs off 46 balls with no set batter at the middle.

Zia then survived a close call when he was batting on two off Miraz. Zia tried a slog sweep which Zadran caught with a diving effort. But television replays showed that the ball had touched the ground and third umpire reversed the call.

Zia’s fortune helped Chattogram reduce the margin of defeat as the right-hander hit three fours and four sixes to finish three runs short of what would’ve been his fourth fifty in competitive T20s.

Earlier, Barishal got off to a rollicking start courtesy of Mehidy Hasan Miraz.

The all-rounder was promoted to open the innings to take attack to the opposition in the powerplay. Miraz did exactly that, hitting Jayed for a three consecutive fours in the opening over.

He then hit Taijul Islam for a six in the third over but lost his wicket the same over, by top-edging a sweep shot and getting caught by Ziaur Rahman, departing for 24 off 12 balls.

Skipper Shakib Al Hasan then came to the middle and started from where Miraz had left off. He hit Mrittunjoy for back-to-back fours in the first two deliveries he faced but couldn’t extend his knock, getting cleaned up by the pacer in the very next ball.

Despite losing two wickets, Barishal were the happier of the two sides after the powerplay, reaching 59-2 after six overs.

But Barishal lost their third soon after the powerplay, losing opener Anamul Haque for 30 off 21 balls, were in need of a partnership from the middle-order to steady the innings.

Afghanistan’s Ibrahim and Bangladesh’s Mahmudullah did exactly that, forming a 49-run stand off 31 balls.

After Mahmudullah departed for 25 off 17 and Zadran missed out from a fifty for just two runs, the onus fell on the lower middle-order to take their score over 200.

Iftikhar did exactly that, hitting five sixes and three fours in the last three overs which yielded 51 runs for Barishal.