Khulna Titans survive late Prasanna blitz

Khulna Titans survived Seekkuge Prasanna’s six-hitting spree to beat Dhaka Dynamites by nine runs in Chittagong. Khulna moved to eight points and joined Rangpur Riders and Dhaka at the top of the table.

Dhaka would have rued the five dropped catches in the field that made the difference although Prasanna nearly took the side to an improbable victory from a score of 83 for 7 in the 14th over. At that stage, the side had lost in-form batsman Mosaddek Hossain.

With Dhaka needing another 75 runs, Prasanna started by smacking Mosharraf Hossain high over long-on in the 14th over, before hitting three more off Kevon Cooper in the 16th over. He struck Shafiul for another six over long-off before Mosharraf was hammered for two successive sixes at the start of the 18th over.

Though Sunzamul Islam fell in the same over, Dhaka were still in the game with 15 needed off the last two overs. Prasanna, who had reached 50 off 18 balls, was dropped by Andre Fletcher in the penultimate over before Suhrawardi Shuvo was the ninth batsman dismissed.

With ten needed off the final over, Prasanna struck the first ball down Ariful Haque’s throat at long-off, ending the drama that he had helped created. He was dismissed for 53 off 22 balls, including seven sixes.

Dhaka’s start to the chase had been poor after both in-form openers, Mehedi Maruf and Kumar Sangakkara, fell within 2.1 overs. Nasir Hossain was caught at short third-man through a late cut off Cooper, while Matt Coles failed to do justice to his promotion to No 3, falling for 11 in the sixth over.

Shakib Al Hasan made just 8 while Dwayne Bravo holed out at deep extra cover attempting an inside-out hit off left-arm spinner Taibur Rahman, having made 4. Mosaddek, who made 35 off 28 balls, tried to keep Dhaka abreast with the required run rate, striking two sixes off Shuvagata Hom in the eighth over and two fours off Ariful Haque in the ninth over. In his quest for quick runs, however, Mosaddek was caught at long-on in the 14th over.

When Khulna batted first after winning the toss, they took advantage of Dhaka’s poor catching to post a competitive 157 for 5. Fletcher was dropped twice during his 16-ball 20, both times at long-on by Mosaddek Hossain and Nasir Hossain on 2 and 9 respectively, although Nasir’s was a tougher chance.

Then, Mosaddek, at point, and Sunzamul Islam, at deep midwicket, dropped simple chances offered by Mahmudullah on 34 and 36 respectively. Matt Coles also dropped a straight-forward chance at long-off in the final over, off Kevon Cooper’s drive. Mahmudullah went on to top score with 62 off 46 balls with the help of four sixes.

Source: espncricinfo