Khulna win high-scoring contest against Dhaka

Rony Talukdar’s brilliant half-century and two bludgeoning knocks from Andre Fletcher and Thisara Perera at either ends of the innings catapulted Khulna Tigers to a five-wicket win over Minister Group Dhaka in the evening match on the opening day of the eighth Bangladesh Premier League on Friday.
Rony made 61 off 42 balls, Fletcher struck 45 off just 23 balls and Perera laid the finishing touches with an unbeaten 36 off 18 deliveries to take the team to 186-5 in 19 overs on a dew-soaked Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.
Earlier, Tamim Iqbal and Mohammad Shahzad made 50 off 42 balls and 42 off 27 balls respectively while skipper Mahmudullah struck a quickfire 39 off 20 balls to take Dhaka to a daunting 183-6 in 20 overs, which proved insufficient.
Chasing 184, Khulna lost opener Tanzid Hasan for one but Fletcher and Rony gave their team the explosive start they required by forming a 72-run second wicket stand off just 34 balls.
Russell removed Fletcher and skipper Mushfiqur Rahim also didn’t hang around too long, falling to Ebadot Hossain for six.
Ebadot brought Dhaka back in the match by removing Rony in the 15th over but Perera then took the onus upon himself, struck six fours all across the ground to get his team over the line with six balls to spare.
Earlier, sent to bat, Dhaka openers Tamim and Shahzad formed a 69-run partnership off 49 balls, which came to an end when the latter, who had struck eight fours all across the ground, paid the price for his lethargic running and got run out.
Dhaka then cruised to 109-1 after 13 overs, before Khulna fought back with three big wickets in quick successions.
Tamim gave a catch to Kamrul Islam at mid-wicket off Naveen-ul-Haq, Mohammad Naim (nine off 11 balls) misread a slower delivery from Thisara Perera that crashed onto his stumps and Andre Russell got dismissed in a bizzare manner.
In the 15th over, Russell nudged a ball off Perera to the off-side and took off for a single.
Mahedi Hasan, stationed at point, got a direct hit at the striker’ end which ricocheted from the stumps, changed its direction and crashed into the stumps at the non-striker’s end, to the shock of an unsuspecting Russell who was a few feet away from safety.
Mahmudullah struck two sixes and a four in the last two overs as Dhaka scored 32 runs off the last two overs.