Barishal advance to qualifiers with two matches to spare beating Khulna

Tamim Iqbal-led Fortune Barishal advanced to the qualifiers stage of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) with two matches to spare beating Khulna Tigers by five wickets with five balls remaining at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in the city on Monday, reports UNB.

After the day's victory, Barishal have secured 16 points from ten matches (net run rate 1.033) to reach the qualifiers of the play-off stage as the best two teams of the league alongside Rangpur, who dominated the league with better run rate (1.070) also collecting 16 points from ten matches.

In their remaining league matches, Fortune Barishal will play Dhaka Capital on tomorrow (Wednesday) and Chittagong Kings on February 01 while Rangpur Riders will face Chittagong Kings on tomorrow (Wednesday) and Khulna Tigers on January 30.

With the day's defeat, Khulna Tigers are now struggling for the play-off stage with eight points from 10 matches.

Sent in to bat first in the day's match, Khulna Tigers scored a moderate 187 for 5 in quota 20 overs with opener Mohammad Naim contributing a half century scoring the team highest 51 runs off 27 deliveries, hitting five fours and three sixes.

Besides, two down Afif Hossain (32), opening batsman cum captain Mehidy Hasan Miraj (29), Mahidul Islam Ankon 27), Alex Ross (20) and William Bosisto (20) were the notable batsmen for Khulna reaching the double figures.

Pakistani right arm medium pacer Faheem Ashraf, who grabbed five wickets for seven runs to eliminate Sylhet Strikers from league last Sunday, today (Monday) grabbed two wickets for 49 runs.

Chasing a target of 188 runs, Fortune Barisal reached their ultimate goal scoring the match-winner 188 runs for the loss of five wickets in 19.1 overs. English cricketer Dawid Malan was the main architect for Fortune Barishal victory quick-firing 63 runs off just 37 balls with the help of eight boundaries and three over boundaries.

Abu Hider Rony took two wickets conceding 35 runs.