Noakhalis Playoff Hopes End After Five-Wicket Loss to Chattogram

Noakhali Express tried to keep their playoff hopes alive after enduring a string of defeats, but that dream did not last long. A loss to Chattogram Royals confirmed Noakhali as the first team to be eliminated from the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).
In the day’s first match, Chattogram secured a five-wicket victory. Batting first, Noakhali were bowled out for just 129 runs. Chasing the modest target, Chattogram reached the finish line comfortably with 18 balls and five wickets to spare.
Chattogram’s chase, however, did not begin smoothly. They were reduced to 29 for 4, slipping into early trouble. The fifth-wicket partnership between captain Sheikh Mehedi Hasan and Hasan Nawaz steadied the innings with a 40-run stand. Mehedi then joined forces with Asif Ali to take complete control and seal the win.
Captain Sheikh Mehedi remained unbeaten on 49, while Asif Ali contributed 36 runs. Mohammad Naim Sheikh scored 18, Hasan Nawaz added 11, and Mohammad Haris chipped in with 7. Mahmudul Hasan Joy and Mahfizul Islam failed to open their accounts.
Earlier, Noakhali’s innings promised a better start but quickly fell apart. Opener Soumya Sarkar was dismissed for 14 in the 3.1 overs. Only three batters managed to cross the 20-run mark. Zaker Ali top-scored with 23, while Sabbir Hossain added 22.
Shariful Islam was the chief architect of Noakhali’s collapse with a brilliant bowling performance. He picked up five wickets for just nine runs in 3.5 overs. He struck at the very end of the powerplay by dismissing Hasan Isakhil on the last ball. Later, in the 16th over, Noakhali suffered further blows as Hasan Mahmud and Mehedi Hasan were run out on consecutive deliveries.
Earlier in the tournament, Sylhet Titans’ Nasum Ahmed and Rangpur’s Fahim Ashraf had also claimed five-wicket hauls, but against Chattogram, the Pakistani pacer conceded 17 runs in 3.5 overs. Shariful’s devastating spell ultimately sounded the death knell for Noakhali’s campaign.