Barisal Bulls end six-match losing run with win over Rajshahi Kings

With their hopes hanging by a thread in the Bangladsh Premier League, Barisal Bulls have ended a six-match losing run with a 17-run win over Rajshahi Kings, thanks to a fine knock from Dawid Malan and some fine death bowling from Rayad Emrit.

Before being run out in a questionable style, Middlesex's swashbuckling batsman cracked 56 off 33 balls and featured in a decisive century stand with Fazle Mahmud (43). It helped Barisal post 161-4 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Thursday evening.

A superb penultimate over from Emrit during the chase virtually put paid to Rajshahi's hopes. They lost their top three batsmen in poor fashion before Samit Patel (62) put up a stubborn resistance. But with little help from other batsmen, it was not enough.

The win helped Barisal (11) to overtake Comilla Victorians for the sixth spot but the defending champions have played one match fewer (10).

With just one match remaining for them in the tournament, Barisal earned their first win after losing six matches on the bounce. However, if Rajshahi, who still have a match to go, or Rangpur Riders, who have two matches remaining, bag a win, both Barisal and Comilla will fall out of contention.

Asked to bat first, Barisal opener Jeevan Mendis was undone by Mehedi Hasan Miraz's flight in the second over. Malan looked in good touch, however, when he milked three boundaries through the offside on either side of the dismissal.

Mohammad Sami, who opened Barisal's bowling, kept probing outside the offstump and cramped the left-handed top order for space. He gave away just three runs from his first two overs, which included a maiden.

Miraz tempted the batsman with floating deliveries from the other end and induced two chances from Fazle Mahmud in the fourth over - a catch and a stumping opportunity - but Barisal let both go begging.

Both the batsman then dug deep and counterattacked. Taking advantage of some poor show on the field, the duo gave impetus by bringing up a fluent fifty partnership. Barisal reached 68-1 in 10 overs.

They put their foot on the gas after that, hammering 36 runs from the next three overs by smashing three fours and as many sixes.

Having scored an unbeaten 78 against Chittagong Vikings earlier this edition, the Englishman notched up his second half-century before running himself out in a shocking fashion.

He called for a quick leg-bye before the fielder swooped in and broke the stumps at the non-striker's end. Malan set out with pace, slowed down near the opposite end, made no attempt to slide in his bat and walked off straight away before any official decision was given.

Mahmud perished two balls after the 71-ball 100-run stand was broken. Captain Mushfiqur Rahim (8) soon fell skying one off Sami.

Some late fireworks from unbeaten duo Thisara Perera (29) and Shahriar Nafees (16) took the team past 150.

Mominul Haque (16) and Nurul Hasan (12) gave the Kings a bright start by clubbing two boundaries and two sixes to score 27 from the first 14 balls. The latter then fell plumb in front to southpaw Monir Hossain.

Caribbean pacer Emrit removed Rajshahi's lynchpin Sabbir Rahman (8) with a slower in the next over to hurt their fluent start.

English allrounder Patel began on a cautious note and looked for gaps to try and steady the ship with regular rotation of the strike with Mominul.

But when spinner Enamul Haque snared Mominul's crucial wicket with a return catch, the boundaries dried up. Raqibul Hasan (9) then perished off Perera to leave Darren Sammy and his men struggling on 68-4 in 11 overs.

Patel took charge and revived the chase by taking the fight to the bowlers. He clubbed seven boundaries and a six to bring the equation down to 33 needed from the last two overs.

Emrit was given the ball in the penultimate over and he delivered. Patel went big but mistimed straight to long-off. Farhad Reza (4) also departed two balls later as Emrit finished 3-27 from four overs.

Needing 28 off the last over by Perera, skipper Sammy took it upon himself to look for boundaries. He struck a six and a four in the first three balls but the last three were dot balls.