Emon’s record ton betters Shanto’s one to knock-out Rajshahi

Parvez Hossain Emon slammed the fastest hundred by a Bangladeshi batsman in T20 cricket and helped Fortune Barishal chase a staggering 220 losing only two wickets with 11 balls to spare against Minister Group Rajshahi in the ongoing Bangabandhu T20 Cup at Sher-E-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Tuesday. Barishal got their second win in the tournament to keep themselves alive.

Kamrul Islam Rabbi, Barishal's right arm pacer, claimed a hat-trick in the last over of Rajshahi's innings, making this match the only one in the history of T20 cricket with two centuries and a hat-trick.

Najmul Hossain Shanto's superb hundred went in vain as Barishal batsmen toyed with the Rajshahi bowlers. Chasing a huge target, the start was as good as Barishal would've liked. Saif Hassan and Tamim Iqbal were off to flyer as the pair added 44 off 4.3 overs before the former got out scoring 27 off 15. This brought Parvez Hossain Emon, the hero of the match, to the crease.

Peerless timing and impeccable placement were features of his innings. He paired up with Tamim to pulverise the Rajshahi bowling attack. Emon played the role of aggressor in the partnership. The southpaw raced to fifty off only 25 balls. 

Emon became more dangerous after reaching the fifty. But his skipper got himself run out in the 14th over, scoring 53, against the run of play. 

But there was no stopping of Parvez Hossain Emon. Afif Hossain picked up few boundaries to contribute 26 in the 60-run partnership that got them home. Emon picked up a boundary off Anisul Emon in the first delivery of the 19th over to reach his maiden T20 hundred off 42 balls. This is the fastest hundred by a Bangladeshi batsman, breaking the record of Tamim Iqbal who previously held the record (50 balls). Barishal went past Rajshahi's total with 11 balls left.

Tamim Iqbal's decision to field first did not pay dividends at all as Rajshahi openers Anisul Islam Emon and Najmul Hossain Shanto put pressure on the bowlers. Anisul went all guns blazing right from the word go. Shanto initially played second fiddle to Anisul but did not take much time to catch up. The pair scored 64 for no loss in the first six overs which is their highest score in the powerplay. 

Anisul notched up his fifty in the 9th over off 25 deliveries, the joint-fastest of the tournament. Shanto reached his fifty soon after. Anisul got out in the 13th over against the run of play, scoring 69 off 39 with the score being 131 for 1. But his partner's departure did not stop Shanto as he continued to go his merry way. He kept on losing his partners but continued to bludgeon the ball. He notched up his second hundred in T20 cricket off 52 balls. The southpaw got out in the 20th over after scoring 109 off 55 balls. He struck 4 fours and 11 sixes en route to his sublime knock. Kamrul Islam Rabbi bowled an eventful final over in which he picked up four wickets including a hat-trick. Rajshahi scored a mammoth 220 for seven after 20 overs.

Brief scores:

Minister Group Rajshshi 220/7 (Najmul Hossain Shanto 109, Anisul Islam Emon 69, Rony Talukdar 18, Kamrul Islam Rabbi 4/49, Sumon Khan 2/43)

Fortune Barishal 221/2 (Parvez Hossain Emon 100*, Tamim Iqbal 53, Saif Hassan 27, Mohammad Saifuddin 1/40)

Result: Fortune Barishal won by 8 wickets.