Rajshahi Warriors held their nerve to beat Sylhet Titans by five runs, sealing a top-two finish in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) preliminary round.
Despite a late surge from England all-rounder Moeen Ali, Sylhet fell agonisingly short as Rajshahi’s bowlers executed a flawless death-over plan.
The match at Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Friday began before a crowd of 20,892, although numbers dropped sharply as Rajshahi’s innings progressed.
Batting first, the Warriors struggled to build a substantial total on a tricky wicket, finishing at 147 for 8 in 20 overs.
Sahibzada Farhan scored 14 and Tanjid Hasan made 9 to lay a steady platform, before Nazmul Hossain Shanto struck 34 off 22 balls and Mushfiqur Rahim added 40 off 30 balls in a brisk 32-ball, 56-run partnership that propelled the innings.
Chasing 148, Sylhet came under pressure early. Moeen sparked a late surge with two towering sixes off Ripon Mondol in the 19th over, cutting the equation to 10 from 10 balls.
Mondol fought back immediately, dismissing Moeen and Nasum Ahmed in the same over to stem the tide.
In the final over, Binura Fernando conceded just five runs and picked up a wicket to seal a thrilling five-run victory.
Five Rajshahi bowlers shared the wickets, with Mondol emerging as the standout performer, taking 4 for 34 in his four overs.
The victory lifted Rajshahi to 14 points from nine matches, confirming a top-two finish.
Chattogram Royals occupy second place with 12 points from eight games, while Sylhet Titans end their preliminary campaign in third with 10 points from 10 matches.
Rangpur Riders sit fourth with 8 points from eight matches.
After losing the toss, Moeen hit a boundary off the first ball, but the innings never gained momentum.
Tanjid struggled to rotate strike while Sahibzada hit the first six off Ruyel Miah before falling at short third man for 12.
