Jahurul Islam, Mashrafe Mortaza power Gemcon Khulna into final

Islam struck a 51-ball 80 before Mortaza claimed his maiden five-for in T20 cricket

Gemcon Khulna 210 for 7 (Islam 80, Mahmudullah 30, Mustafizur 2-31) beat Gazi Group Chattogram (Mithun 53, Joy 31, Mashrafe 5-35) by 47 runs

Gemcon Khulna became the first team to reach the Bangabandhu T20 Cup final, after beating Gazi Group Chattogram by a comprehensive 47-run margin, thanks to a rapid fifty by opener Jahurul Islam and a maiden T20 five-for from the experienced Mashrafe Mortaza.

Khulna were on turbo mode as they scored 210 for 7 in 20 overs. Islam dominated a 71-run opening stand, with his partner Zakir Hossain scoring just 16 when he got out in the tenth over. Imrul Kayes blasted 25 off 12 balls with three fours and a six, before Shakib Al Hasan slammed two sixes and two fours in his 15-ball 28.

Islam fell in the 15th over, but not before he top scored with a 51-ball 80 with five fours and four sixes. The captain Mahmudullah then hammered three sixes and two fours, making 30 off just nine balls. He got out in the 17th over, having scored all but one run in the 31-run stand with Shakib. Ariful Haque’s 15 off nine balls at the end took the team over the 200-run mark, which was eventually more than enough for Khulna.

Mortaza then rocked Chattogram’s chase early when he removed their in-form openers Soumya Sarkar and Liton Das in his first two overs. Mahmudul Hasan Joy and Mohammad Mithun put on 63 runs for the third wicket. But just when Chattogram were getting a sniff, Mortaza broke the partnership by having Joy caught in the point boundary.

As the asking rate rose, Ariful, now more of a part-time seamer, removed the Chaittogram captain Mithun, who made 53. He had struck three fours and as many sixes in his 35-ball stay, but he was deceived by a slower ball which got stuck on the pitch as he charged out of the crease.

Mortaza came back to remove Shamsur Rahman, brilliantly caught by the substitute wicketkeeper Anamul Haque, and later Mustafizur Rahman, eventually ending with 5 for 35.