ESPNcricinfo staff
February 19, 2012
Khulna Royal Bengals 141 for 3 (Chanderpaul 87*, Shakib 39) beat Dhaka Gladiators 140 for 8 (Ashraful 53, Jayasuriya 2-25) by seven wickets
Mohammad Ashraful made his first half-century of the BPL but his effort was in vain as Shivnarine Chanderpaul led Khulna Royal Bengals to an easy win over Dhaka Gladiators in Chittagong.
Ashraful took 42 balls for his 53 and batted till the 19th over but Dhaka could not build on his 55-run second-wicket stand with Azhar Mahmood. Ashraful and Mahmood gave Dhaka a solid start after Imran Nazir had departed off the second ball of the match. Mahmood was run out after making 33 off 24 with the score on 58 in the seventh over. Kieron Pollard hit a six but was caught behind off Abdur Razzak for 10. Each of the six Khulna bowlers got a wicket as Dhaka were restricted to 140 for 8.
Dhaka made a bright start with the ball when Sanath Jayasuriya was trapped lbw by Mahmood in the second over. Dwayne Smith was bowled by Mashrafe Mortaza in the third over as Khulna slipped to 15 for 2.
But Chanderpaul and captain Shakib Al Hasan shut Dhaka out of the game with a 94-run partnership in 65 balls. Chanderpaul dominated the stand and smashed 12 boundaries in making an unbeaten 87 off 49. Though Shakib fell for 39, there was no stopping Chanderpaul as the win came in the 17th over.
