Mahmudullah defends six in final over, Khulna win thriller

Khulna Titans 133 for 8 (Mahmudullah 32, Abul Hasan 5-28) beat Rajshahi Kings 130 (Mominul 64, Junaid 4-23, Mahmudullah 3-6) by three runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Khulna Titans left it until the last three overs to launching a stunning comeback that gave them a three-run win over Rajshahi Kings. Junaid Khan took four wickets but it was Khulna captain Mahmudullah, who took three wickets in the final over to help his side clinch a thriller.

In their chase of 134, Rajshahi needed 23 runs off the last three overs with six wickets in hand. However, Shafiul Islam broke the 52-run fifth-wicket stand between Mominul Haque (64) and Darren Sammy (31). He had Sammy bowled and Mominul caught behind in the same over, the 18th of the innings. Rajshahi's chase got worse when Farhad Reza hacked at a wide delivery from Junaid and Mahmudullah took a tumbling overhead catch at cover.

Mahmudullah then brought himself on to defend seven runs in the final over. After conceding three runs off the first two balls, he removed Abul Hasan and Mohammad Sami off consecutive deliveries, leaving Rajshahi with four to win off the last two balls. No. 11 Nazmul Islam attempted a switch-hit and a slog, but connected with neither and was stumped off the last ball.

Junaid had earlier ripped through the Rajshahi top order, taking the first three wickets to fall. He removed Nurul Hasan in his first over and got two in his second: he went through Sabbir Rahman's wild slog and had Umar Akmal caught behind. Samit Patel and Mominul Haque added 35 runs for the fourth wicket, but the England allrounder fell for a 21-ball 10 in the 11th over, with Rajshahi still needing 75 runs to win.

Mominul, who was dropped on 7 and 24 by Kapali at slip and Ariful at long-off, held up one end and struck six boundaries in his 64, his third T20 fifty.

Earlier in the day, Khulna were limited to 133 on the back of right-arm medium-pacer Abul Hasan's 5 for 28. He was introduced in the 10th over and broke a 47-run second-wicket stand between Rikki Wessels (32) and Abdul Mazid (15). Brought back to bowl in the end overs, Hasan duped Mahmudullah (32) and Alok Kapali (11) with slower balls off consecutive deliveries: both skied catches to long-on and deep midwicket in the 18th over.

In the final over, Hasan removed Ariful Haque and Shafiul Islam - between a six and two fours - to become only the second Bangladeshi bowler to take a five-wicket haul in the BPL.

Mehedi Hasan set the tone early in the innings and had opener Nicholas Pooran bowled behind his legs with his third ball. He finished with 1 for 15 from three overs. Patel was also economical, returning fugures of 1 for 18 from his four overs.