A sensational five-wicket haul from Shoriful Islam, coupled with a composed all-round display from captain Mahedi Hasan, powered Chattogram Royals to a five-wicket victory over Noakhali Express at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur on Friday.
The defeat officially ended Noakhali’s hopes of reaching Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) playoffs.
Chattogram opted to bowl first and their attack, spearheaded by Shoriful, proved clinical. The left-arm seamer tore through the Noakhali batting lineup, finishing with extraordinary figures of 5 for 9 in just 3.5 overs, including a maiden over.
His crucial wickets, including that of Hassan Eisakhil (25), and his dominance over the tail kept the opposition restricted to a meagre 126.
Mahedi Hasan supported the pace attack with an impressive spin spell, taking 3 for 12 in three overs. He removed key middle-order batsmen, including Soumya Sarkar and opposition captain Haider Ali, ensuring Noakhali never regained momentum.
Chattogram’s chase began shakily, as the top order crumbled to 29 for four during the powerplay, with Ihsanullah (2-23) applying early pressure. At 69 for five, Noakhali looked poised to snatch a dramatic win.
However, Mahedi anchored the innings with a mature unbeaten 49 off 36 balls, blending power and timing with four boundaries and two sixes. He received solid support from Asif Ali, who contributed 36 not out.
Together, the duo put on an unbroken 59-run partnership, guiding Chattogram to 128 for five with 18 balls to spare.
Shoriful’s destructive bowling and Mahedi’s calm leadership sealed a comprehensive win, sending Chattogram Royals closer to the BPL playoff spots while knocking Noakhali Express out of contention.
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