Bangladesh HP Finishes as Runners-Up

In the final of the Top End T20 Series held in Australia, Adelaide Strikers decisively defeated Bangladesh HP. Due to the bowlers' underperformance, the target was set at 170 runs. Despite a good start with the bat, Adelaide's bowlers took control of the game, and the top order of Bangladesh HP failed once again, with wickets falling at regular intervals. Consequently, Bangladesh HP was restricted to 137 runs, falling short of the target.

In the nine-team Top End T20 Series, Bangladesh HP finished as the runners-up. The batters failed to provide relief in the crucial final match, leading to overall disappointment in the batting department. The team, led by Akbar Ali, will return to Bangladesh tomorrow. Among the Bangladeshi bowlers, Ripon Mondol took two wickets in the final and ended as the series’ top wicket-taker with 15 wickets in 8 matches.

Adelaide Strikers, batting first after losing the toss, scored 169 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in their 20 overs. Chasing a target of 170 runs, Bangladesh HP's openers started cautiously. However, the opening partnership was broken in the fifth over when Zishan Alam was dismissed for 18 runs. Parvez Hossain Emon, coming in at number three, failed completely, scoring just 3 runs from 6 balls.

Settled opener Tanzid Hasan Tamim also could not deliver a big innings. He was caught for 35 runs while attempting a boundary off a bouncer from Jordan Buckingham. Captain Akbar Ali was dismissed for a duck, and Shamim Hossain Patwari, who had shown promise with a boundary on his arrival, was dismissed for a duck on the next ball.

The middle order of Bangladesh HP showed helplessness in the final match. Afif Hossain Dhruv scored 18 runs off 13 balls before being dismissed, and Bangladesh HP lost their sixth wicket at 83 runs. Abu Haider Rony was then dismissed leg-before, and Bangladesh HP lost 5 more batters between the 11th and 14th overs, further increasing the chances of a final defeat.

At one stage of the chase for 170 runs, Bangladesh HP was struggling at 92 runs for 7 wickets. Mahfuzur Rahman Rabbi, who played a crucial role in getting the team to the semifinals and final, was still at the crease. However, the gap between runs and balls continued to grow. In the end, Rakibul Hasan contributed a cameo of 12 runs from 6 balls. Bangladesh HP was eventually dismissed for 137 runs, and Adelaide Strikers won the match by 32 runs, becoming the champions.