Gazi Group Chattogram 175 for 4 (Soumya 63, Liton 55, Emon 2-21) beat Minister Rajshahi 139 for 8 (Hasan 28, Mahedi 26, Nahidul 3-19) by 36 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Minister Rajshahi's succumbed to a 36-run defeat at the hands of Gazi Group Chattogram. Rajshahi finish the tournament's league phase with two wins out of eight games, having now lost six matches on the trot.
Rajshahi could only reach 139 for 8 in 20 overs, chasing 176. Soumya Sarkar and Liton Das added 122 runs for the opening wicket, with both scoring fifties. Soumya struck four sixes and three fours in his 48-ball 63, while Liton struck five fours and a six in his 55 off 43 balls. Having added 365 runs in the tournament so far, with three fifty-plus and now a century stand, Soumya and Liton are the best batting pair in the tournament.
After both fell, there was enough time for Shamsur Rahman to hammer three sixes and a four in his unbeaten 18-ball 30, taking Chattogram to a competitive total.
It was an ordinary effort from the Rajshahi bowlers, exacerbated by young pace bowler Rejaur Rahman who bowled two beamers in the 19th over, both of which Shamsur smashed for sixes. Anisul Islam Emon took two wickets while Mohammad Saifuddin and Rejaur took one each. In reply, Rajshahi lost their top three - captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, Emon and Rony Talukdar - within the first 5.2 overs. Nurul Hasan and Mahedi Hasan brought a semblance of fight to their approach, but both batsmen fell inside the 15th over, leaving Saifuddin and the rest of the lower order with a tall task.
Chattogram's Nahidul Islam took three wickets while Ziaur Rahman took wickets. Left-arm quicks Shoriful Islam and Mustafizur and left-arm spinner Rakibul Hasan took one each.
Chattogram now face Gemcon Khulna in the first qualifier of the playoffs phase on Monday.
Fortune Barishal 193 for 3 (Hridoy 51, Saif 50, Afif 50) beat Beximco Dhaka 191 for 6 (Naim 105, Yasir 41, Sohrawordi 3-13) by 2 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Fortune Barisal scraped through to the playoffs of the Bangabandhu T20 Cup with a two-run against Beximco Dhaka, who, to their credit, nearly toppled their 193-3 total if not for a late stumble. Dhaka opener Mohammad Naim struck his maiden T20 century, a thrilling 105 off 64 balls that included seven sixes and eight fours.
Sumon Khan's six-run penultimate over, when 23 was needed off the final two overs, was what took Barishal to the top four. There was even an outside chance at one stage that Dhaka threatened to reach Barishal's target within 18.3 overs, which would have put Minister Rajshahi through on net run-rate.
Naim and Yasir Ali added 110 runs for the fourth wicket after Sohrawordi Shuvo, the veteran left-arm spinner, took the first three wickets, conceding just 13 runs. Yasir struck two sixes and a four in his 28-ball 41, that was the perfect foil for the marauding Naim, who peppered the straight field at every opportunity.
But when Naim and Yasir fell in the 19th over, Akbar Ali and Muktar Ali had to take 17 off the last over. Both hit a six each, but Rabbi managed to keep them at bay, by the barest of margins.
Barishal's 193-3 in 20 overs came through three half-centuries, from Saif Hassan, Towhid Hridoy and Afif Hossain. Saif's 43-ball 50 included eight boundaries, mostly in the Powerplay, as he added 59 for the opening stand with Tamim Iqbal. From the 14th over, Hridoy and Afif took over, hammering a 91-run for the unbroken fourth wicket stand, including a whopping 78 in the last five overs.
Afif's 50 came off 21 balls, and included five sixes and one four. Hridoy smacked four sixes and two fours in his 22-ball 51. Dhaka's bowlers, especially Muktar Ali and Robiul Islam Robi went for a fair few, having bowled so well in most of the league phase matches.