Debutant Onik's four-for sinks Chittagong Vikings
BPL Debutants Qazi Onik and Usama Mir lead the charge for the Rajshahi Kings as they defeated Chittagong Vikings by 33 runs.
It was an inspirational performance from the Rajshahi, who started this game with two debutant bowlers in their armory. Their excellence was not only restricted to their bowlers as some excellent fielding gave them the edge in this match.
Luke Ronchi started with a bang, hitting Mohammed Sami for two fours in the opening over in Chittagong's chase of Rajshahi's 157. However, he was hold out at deep mid-wicket on the fourth ball of Sami's over as Mehedi Hasan Miraz took an excellent catch.
Opener Anamul Haque looked to assert authority with some fine boundaries and Soumya Sarkar also joined in. Soumya got the rub of the green in the first delivery of debutant Usama but was not able to capitalize on that opportunity as he fell trying to play a drive off Mustafizur Rahman in the sixth over.
Rajshahi bowlers were able to dry up the flow of runs and pressure told as Onik bagged his first wicket with a slower delivery that Anamul Haque nicked through to the keeper. Sikandar Raza was looking to break free but he fell trying to hit Usama for a maximum and was caught at deep square leg by substitute fielder Habibur Rahman. Mehedi Hasan Miraz, who has been excellent on the field then ran out Luis Reece and Chittagong were five wickets down for 100 and they never recovered from that point on.
South African Stiian van Zyl had been playing a patient knock before he went for a big one off Anik but fielder at long-on took an excellent catch but as he was going over the rope, chose to flick it back to Usama who tooka comfortable catch. The rest of the batsmen did not put up much of a resistance as Rajshahi won by 33 runs.
Onik bagged four wickets for 17 runs while the impressive Usama Mir grabbed one wicket and conceded just 15 in his four overs. Bangladesh's star pace Mustafizur bagged two wickets for 18 runs in his four overs.
Earlier, a quickfire 25-ball 40 from Rajshahi skipper Darren Sammy helped Rajshahi post 157 runs on the board against Chittagong Vikings at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong.
Sammy hit three sixes and two fours in his innings and was instrumental to Rajshahi's ambition of putting up a fighting total on the board as most of their batsmen got a start but failed to turn up with a big score.
Rajshahi captain Darren Sammy won the toss and elected to bat first against Chittagong Vikings. Mominul Haque got a thick outside edge in the second over off Taskin Ahmed and ball flew to third man where it was easily taken, leading to Rajshahi losing an early wicket.
Opener Zakir Hasan looked to go after the Chittagong bowlers and he hit Luis Reece for a six in the first delivery of the sixth over but the bowler got his revenge in the next delivery when Zakir missed the line of a straight delivery and the ball crashed onto his leg-stump.
Mushfiqur came on and started his innings brightly, hitting two fours of the sixth over. Luke Wright fell in the eighth over to Sunzamul Islam, holed out at deep mid-wicket. Mushfiqur decided to go after the spinner in the 11th over, hitting him for a six and then two fours as Sunzamul conceded 15 off that over.
However, Mushfiqur, like other Chittagong batsmen fell after getting a start when he was holed out at long on off the bowling of Nayeem Hasan. Sammy and James Franklin put on a 69-run fifth wicket partnership to help Rajshahi post 157 runs on the board for the loss of six wickets. Franklin contributed with a run-a-ball 30 before he fell in the last over of the innings.