Rajshahi subdue mighty Sylhet

Jahurul Islam (L) has been in fine form in the BPL this year. Here the right-hand batsman celebrates with teammates after leading Duronto Rajshahi to a tense victory over Sylhet Royals at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur yesterday. Photo: Firoz Ahmed

A Tamim-less Duronto Rajshahi romped to a five-wicket victory over league leaders Sylhet Royals at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday. Star opener Tamim Iqbal couldn't bat due to an injury he suffered on the field. That however, didn't make a difference as Rajshahi chased 148 courtesy of an excellent team effort led by Jahurul Islam's unbeaten 49.
The loss was Sylhet's second in eight matches and they are on equal points at the top with Dhaka Gladiators, who have a superior net run rate, while Rajshahi's fifth win in their ninth game takes them to third position.
With 50 runs required off the last six overs and five wickets in hand, a calculated knock from Jahurul Islam, along with a couple of crucial knocks by Ziaur Rahman and Mukhtar Ali, took Rajshahi home in a tense finish.
The pair of Jahurul and Ali, brought the equation down to 23 off the last three overs through carefully placed singles and a boundary hit every over. They scored 18 runs off the next two, courtesy of a six and a four by Mukhtar Ali and required only five off the last over. Ali, who played a match-winning cameo finished the game with a stylish six over extra cover.
Rajshahi had gotten off to a flier in their chase of 148, as openers Chris Coventry and Dilshan Munaweera raced to 38 in the first four overs. However, as so often happens in a T20 game, the fall of wickets steadily changed the scenario.
By the sixth over, the openers were gone, both falling to Dwayne Smith. Skipper Chamara Kapugedera and Sean Ervine fell in consecutive overs and Rajshahi found themselves in a tricky 60 for 4 at the end of the eight over.
Rajshahi, however, revived things with a 48-run partnership between Jahurul Islam and Ziaur Rahman. After Ziaur's departure in the 15th over, the unbeaten 46-run sixth-wicket partnership, nurtured mostly by Jahurul, ensured Rajshahi's victory.
Earlier, some good bowling from Rajshahi's spinners restricted Sylhet to a score below 150. Duronto's spin trio -- Monir Hossain, Naeem Islam Jr and Dilshan Munaweera -- picked up wickets at regular intervals and slowed down the rate.
Sylhet's main impetus came from a 51-run partnership in 30 balls between skipper Mushfiqur Rahim and Dwayne Smith. The fall of Smith in the seventh over, caught and bowled by Naeem Islam Jr, changed the tempo of the game.
Mushfiqur was caught off Mukhtar Ali in the 10th over and Sylhet suddenly found themselves in trouble at 75 for 4 at the end of 10 overs. Contributions down the order from Nazmul Hossain Milon, Mohammad Nabi and Suhrawardi Shuvo lifted Sylhet to 147.
Tamim, hit on the wrist while fielding at short fine leg, took no further part in the match. An X-ray however confirmed that there were no fractures, an impression the BCB physio Debashish Chowdhury will confirm with another X-ray from a different angle today.
SCORES IN BRIEF
SYLHET ROYALS: 147 for 8 (Mushfiqur 34, Smith 24, Nabi 17; Munaweera 2-19, Monir 2-35).
DURONTO RAJSHAHI: 152 for 5 in 19.4 overs (Jahurul 49 not out, Mukhtar 26 not out, Munaweera 21; Smith 2-25, Gazi 1-11, Shuvo 1-15).
Result: Duronto Rajshahi won by five wickets.
Player-of-the-match: Jahurul Islam.