Chattogram Stuns Mashrafee-led Sylhet 

Shahadat Hossain Dipu and Najibullah Zadran scored fifties respectively to help Chattogram Challengers beat Sylhet Strikers by seven wickets at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka.

Sylhet posted 177-2 on the back of an unbeaten fifty from Zakir Hasan alongside contributions from Mohammad Mithun, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, and Harry Tector and in reply Chattogram’s Afghan recruit Najibullah Zadran struck a brilliant unbeaten 61 off 30 balls while local Shahadat Hossain Dipu made 57 not out as the port city outfit reached 180-3 in 18.3 overs to complete a dominating win in the contest.

Chattogram opener Avishka Fernando also made 39 off 23 balls but they had a wobble to slide at 59-3 at one stage before the duo came in the middle and put up an unbroken partnership of 121 runs to confirm their side’s victory.

Earlier, Zakir Hasan struck an unbeaten 70 off 43 balls while Mohammad Mithun (40), Najmul Hossain Shanto (36) and Harry Tector (26 not out) also made meaningful contributions as Sylhet posted 177-2 in their stipulated overs after Chattogram sent them to bat first. 

Sylhet skipper Mashrafe bin Mortaza, who was playing his first competitive game since after 250 days picked up the wicket of Imran Uzzaman (11) in the first ball of his spell but finished with 1-25 in 2.3 overs. 

When I was batting with Najibullah he just said that we need to pass two or three overs and later we can for our shots and that is exactly what happened in the middle,” Shahadat said in the post match presser following their victory over Strikers at the home of cricket.