BBPL: Rangpur, Sylhet get first wins

While the match between Rangpur Rangers and Chattogram Challengers was a topsy-turvy one with Rangpur gaining momentum at the death and winning the game by six wickets under lights at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram, it was rather a straightforward 80-run victory for Sylhet against Khulna in the day’s first game at the same venue yesterday.

It still looked an uphill task for Rangpur to get their first win when Chattogram pacer Mehedi Hasan Rana sent back Shadman Islam in the 12th over to leave Ranpur struggling at 76 for four.

But after that, a magnificent unbeaten 91-run fifth-wicket stand between Fazle Mahmud and Lewis Gregory shifted momentum and Rangpur got over the line with eight balls to spare.

Gregory was unbeaten for a 37-ball 76 while Fazle scored an unbeaten 21-ball 38.

In the day’s first game, opener Andre Fletcher became the first centurion of the Bangabandhu Bangladesh Premier League (BBPL) as his explosive unbeaten 57-ball 103 and another 38-ball 90 from Jhonson Charles helped Sylhet post a mammoth 232 for five.

In reply, Khulna, who were unbeaten in four matches, were bundled out for 152 in 18.3 overs while Sylhet jumped a place up from the bottom following their first victory in the tournament.