DHAKA, Nov 14, 2017 (BSS)- West Indies all-rounder Kieron Pollard’s swift fifty helped holders Dhaka Dynamites to register their third win in the AKS Bangladesh Premier League T20 beating Khulna Titans by four wickets in the 13th match of the tournament held Tuesday at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium at Mirpur.
With the day’s win, star-studded Dhaka moved top to the points table with six points from four matches while Khulna, which stood at fourth position, remained at their previous credit of four points playing the same number of outings.
Dhaka’s start was not well as they plunged into deep trouble losing their five top order batsmen at only 45 runs in the score board to chase the winning target of 157 runs set by Khulna.
Then Pollard came to the crease to resurrect Dhaka’s dilapidated innings. The big hitting batsman smashed 24-ball off 55 and also shared an important 73-run partnership with Jahurul Islam to take Dhaka closer to the victory.
Pollard’s entertaining knock contained six towering over boundaries and three boundaries before he fell to Shafiul Islam’s delivery.
Jahurul (45 n.o) then completed the formality along with Mosaddek Hossain (14 n.o) with one ball to spare.
Shafiul Islam of Khulna finished his spell with 2 for 24 runs from his four overs.
Jahurul Islam of Dhaka Dynamites was named the player of the match for his impressive batting performance.
Earlier, a blistering knock from West Indies batsman Carlos Brathwaite helped Khulna Titans to post 156 for 5 from their allotted 20 overs.
Shakib Al Hasan’s decision to send Khulna to bat proved effective immediately as Dhaka bowlers put some pressure early on the Khulna batsmen with some tight bowling.
Shakib got the first breakthrough when he sent back Michael Klinger (10) in the fourth over.
At the end of the first ten overs of play, Khulna were 47 for three and soon in the 13th over skipper Mahmudullah fell to Pakistani recruit Shahid Afridi. South African batsman Rilee Rossouw had been holding his nerve up from the other end when Carlos Brathwaite joined him at the crease.
The 28-year left handed batsman saw off a few deliveries before he took to smashing the bowlers all around the park with 30-ball 34 runs, an innings that contained three boundaries.
But it was Braithwaite’s innings which changed the scenario and steered Titans to add 77 runs in the last six overs. Brathwaite’s 29-ball 64 knock contained six towering sixes and four fours.
He took only 25-ball to reach his 50 runs when he hit Sunil Narine’s ball collecting 13 runs in the 19th over.
In the final over of the innings he got stuck into Abu Hider, hitting him for two massive sixes as Titans finished on a high after a slow start.
Opener Nazmul Hossain Shanto (24) and skipper Mahmudullah (14) looked good with bat on the crease but could not convert those into a big knock.
Abu Haider Rony of Dhaka finished 2 for 40.