Bowlers star in Sylhet as Khulna get first BPL win

Khulna Titans registered their first win in Bangladesh Premier League's sixth season as they defeated Rajshahi Kings by 25 runs at Sylhet International stadium on Tuesday.

Khulna scored 128/9 in their stipulated 20 overs before bundling out Rajshahi for 103 in 19.5 overs to register their first points in the tournament. 

Playing XI of Khulna Titans and Rajshahi Kings #KTvRK

Watch BPL LIVE on GTV & Rabbithole App!#BPL #BPLSeason6 pic.twitter.com/xy4wTTFjR8

— Bangladesh Cricket (@BCBtigers) January 15, 2019

The game changer

Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam was the architect of defending the total for Khulna. The most successful Test bowler for Bangladesh in last year got 3/10 in four overs. 

Rajshahi started with another new opening combination as Mominul Haque and Laurie Evans opened their innings. Khulna opening bowler Junaid Khan drew the first blood as he took the wicket of Evans (0) on the fourth ball to give Khulna hope of defending the smallish total. 

Rajshahi skipper Mehedi Hasan Miraz came on to bat at number three and started his innings with a brilliant square cut over point for a maximum.

Mominul and Miraz formed 29-run partnership before Khulna captain Mahmudullah struck in the fifth ball of fifth over, trapping Mominul in front for seven. 

Following the breakthrough provided by the skipper, Taijul followed suit and picked up two important wickets of Miraz and Soumya Sarkar in the next over to put his team on top. 

Khulna Titans defend 128 to get their first win of the season https://t.co/Cxe5vU9mYD #BPL pic.twitter.com/32SrWSh8Cq

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) January 15, 2019

How the action unfolded

With the score of 32/4 Rajshahi were in trouble in the pitch where ball was gripping and turning and the spin duo Mahmudullah and Taijul dented them even more by picking up Zakir Hasan and Ryan ten Doeschate to reduce Kings to 55/6 in 12 overs. 

Juanid Khan grabbed two more wickets late in the innings and made sure Rajshahi were unable to recover. 

Miraz was the top scorer 23 off 16 balls. Taijul was adjudged man-of-the-match for his brilliant bowling effort.

Earlier, Khulna, who picked David Wiese over Paul Stirling, decided to bat first after winning the toss. Jahurul Islam joined Junaid Siddique in the opening in place of Stirling but they could make only a 15-run stand as Jahurul was out for 13 off six balls.  

Junaid (14), Dawid Malan (15), Mahmudullah (9), Najmul Hossain Shanto (11) and Carlos Brathwaite (8) all got set but could not capitalise on the start and fail to convert them into bigger innings. 

Ariful Haque, who batted at number seven, top scored with 26 runs in the end to edge Khulna past 120-run mark that proved match-winning in the end. 

Khulna hope Sylhet Stadium will change their fortune https://t.co/z6bHRVShk5#KhulnaTitans are aiming for a turnaround in the #Sylhet phase of the #BPL as they will face #RajshahiKings in the afternoon match at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium in Dhaka on Tuesday.

— Dhaka Tribune Sports (@Sport_DT) January 14, 2019

What this result means

This was the first win for Khulna in their five matches and while Rajshahi lost three from same number of matches. 

Khulna will play Comilla Victorians in their next match on Friday.   

Khulna Titans Innings

                                                                R             B

J Islam c Sunny b Udana                    13           6

J Siddique b Mehedi                            14           14

D Malan lbw b Mehedi                         15           21

Mahmudullah c Jonker                         9            13

Najmul run out (Mominul)                    11          10

C Brathwaite lbw b Sunny                     8              12

A Haque c Evans b Mustafizur             26           27

D Wiese c Mehedi b Udana                   13           12

Taijul run out (Mustafiz)                          0              2              

Shoriful not out                                         2              2

Junaid not out                                           1              1                                              

Extras (lb3, w13)                                      16

Total (9 Wickets, 20 Overs)                  128

Fall of wickets:1-15 (Jahurul), 2-37 (Junaid), 3-49 (Malan), 4-65 (Mahmudullah), 5-77 (Najmul), 6-82 (Brathwaite), 7-116 (Wiese), 8-125 (Ariful), 9-125 (Taijul)

Bowling: Kamrul 3-0-16-0 (1w), Udana 4-0-36-2 (2w), Mehedi 4-0-21-2 (1w), Mustafiz 4-0-21-1 (1w), Sunny 4-0-25-2 (3w), Soumya 1-0-6-0

Rajshahi Kings Innings

                                                                          R             B

Mominul lbw b Mahmudullah                      7              11

L Evans c taijul b Junaid                               0              3

Mehedi c Ariful b Taijul                                 23           16

Soumya c Brathwaite b Taijul                       2              4

Doeschate c Jahurul b Taijul                        13           13

Zakir c Brathwaite b Mahmudullah              7              12

Jonker c Brathwaite b Junaid                       15           24

Udana c Junaid b Wiese                                 6              14

Sunny c Brathwaite b Junaid                         15           13

Kamrul run out (Najmul/Junaid)                   13           9

Extras (lb2)                                                         2

Total (all out; 19.5 overs)                                103

Fall of wickets:1-1 (LJ Evans), 2-30 (Mominul), 3-32 (Mehedi), 4-32 (Soumya), 5-47 (Zakir), 6-55 (Doeschate), 7-72 (Jonker), 8-74 (Udana), 9-103 (Kamrul), 10-103 (Sunny)

Bowling: Junaid 3.5-0-26-3, Wiese 3-0-28-1, Taijul 4-0-10-3, Mahmudullah 4-1-12-1, Malan 4-0-21-0, Shoriful 1-0-4-0

Result: KT won by 25 runs

MoM: Taijul Islam