Melbourne Stars clinched a narrow three-wicket victory over Bangladesh A in their fifth match of the Top End T20 Series at DXC Arena in Darwin on Wednesday, chasing down 157 with four balls to spare.
Earlier, Bangladesh A posted 156-8 after being put in to bat, with Saif Hasan (45) and skipper Nurul Hasan Sohan (33) rebuilding the innings following a shaky start.
The pair added 63 runs for the fourth wicket, but their dismissals in quick succession left Bangladesh in trouble before Yasir Ali’s 17-ball 29 lifted the score past 150. For the Stars, Hamish McKenzie starred with the ball, returning figures of 3-21.
In reply, Melbourne Stars had a rocky start, losing wickets in clusters to slip to 29-3 and later 61-6, but Jonathan Merlo’s match-winning 61 off 38 balls, featuring four fours and three sixes, turned the tide. Despite late strikes from Bangladesh bowlers, the Stars crossed the line at 157-7 in 19.2 overs, with Christian Howe (15)* holding firm.
Among Bangladesh’s bowlers, Rakibul Hasan (2-23) and Hasan Mahmud (2-21) were impressive, while Saif Hasan and Tufayel Ahmed chipped in with one wicket apiece.
The defeat leaves Bangladesh A with two wins and three losses in the tournament, making their path to the final increasingly difficult.
