Fortune Barishal got back to winning ways in the ongoing BPL as the defending champions beat Durbar Rajshahi by seven wickets thanks to captain Tamim Iqbal鈥檚 unbeaten 86 off 48 balls at the Sylhet International Stadium on Monday.
Rajshahi got a moderate total of 164-8, which Barishal got past with 15 balls remaining.
Every batter from the top four of Rajshahi got the starts, but none could reach 40s despite crossing 20s. Mohammad Haris was the first batter to be dismissed after making 22 off 16.
Jishan Alam, who was dropped in the last match after two failures, got 38 off 27 with three fours and three sixes.
Captain Anamul Haque was playing an anchor role as he played 35 balls to score just 38 runs. He was involved in the two biggest partnerships of Rajshahi鈥檚 innings.
First he added 55 off 34, then added 48 off 35, where Yasir Ali scored 37 off 23.
Anamul finally got out in the 19th over as he was the second and final victim of Shaheen Shah Afridi, who gave away only 20 off his four overs.
Akbar Ali鈥檚 nine-ball 15 then lifted Sylhet a bit, but still it was a subpar total.
And that gave the Barishal openers, Tamim Iqbal and Pritom Kumar, the chance to see off the best bowler of the tournament so far鈥擳askin Ahmed.
Pritom, though, fell in the next over off Mohor Sheikh as he was bowled after making three off nine balls.
Barishal promoted Kyle Mayers to three, and that worked fine for them as the Caribbean鈥檚 24 off 11 got them the start they desired in the powerplay.
Towhid Hridoy made only 13 off 14 but was part of a partnership of 40 off 27 with Tamim Iqbal. Barishal captain then got them home with the help of Mushfiqur Rahim, who scored 34 off 24.
Tamim hit 11 fours and three sixes in his first fifty of this edition.