Shoriful, Mahedi shine as Chattogram eliminate Noakhali

A sensational five-wicket haul from Shoriful Islam and a composed captain’s performance by Mahedi Hasan propelled Chattogram Royals to a comfortable five-wicket victory over Noakhali Express at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur on Friday. 

This defeat officially eliminated them from the race for the Bashundhara Cement Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) playoffs.

Opting to bowl first, Chattogram’s attack was clinical, led by the relentless Shoriful. 

The left-arm seamer dismantled the Noakhali batting order with surgical precision, returning extraordinary figures of five for nine from 3.5 overs including a maiden over. 

Shoriful’s ability to strike at crucial intervals ensured the Express never gained momentum, accounting for the dangerous Hassan Eisakhil (25) before cleaning up the tail to leave the opposition bowled out for a meagre 126.

Supporting Shoriful’s pace was the skipper himself, Mahedi, who produced a masterclass in restrictive spin. Mahedi strangled the middle order, claiming three for 12 in his three overs, including the vital wickets of Soumya Sarkar and opposition captain Haider Ali.

The Royals' chase, however, began in disastrous fashion. 

The top order collapsed to 29 for four within the powerplay as Ihsanullah (2-23) generated significant early heat. 

At 69 for five, the match sat on a knife-edge, with Noakhali sensing an improbable lifeline to keep their season alive.

Yet, skipper Mahedi stepped up to complete a magnificent all-round display. Anchoring the innings with a mature, unbeaten 49 off 36 balls, the captain combined power with placement, striking four boundaries and two sixes. He found a reliable partner in Asif Ali, who contributed a brisk 36 not out. 

Together, the pair built an unbroken 59-run partnership to steer the Royals to 128 for five with 18 balls to spare.