Star trio fire for Rangpur
Nothing seems to be going right for Khulna Titans in the Bangladesh Premier League as Mahmudullah Riyad's side faced their seventh defeat in eight games, this time by six wickets against Rangpur Riders at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur yesterday. Khulna are now virtually out of contention for a playoff place while Mashrafe Bin Mortaza's Rangpur, with four wins in eight games, moved to the fourth position in the points table.
Despite posting a big total of 181 for six Khulna were completely undone by Rangpur's star-studded batting line up. Alex Hales, who struck a quickfire 50, was followed by Ab de Villiers's 41. The triangle was completed by Chris Gayle, finally found some runs and guided Rangpur to the cusp of win with ease with a half-century.
WIESE'S LATE SURGE AND FARHAD'S FOUR-FOR
It was yet another shaky start for Khulna after being sent in to bat as they were struggling on 29 for two after four overs. Nazmul Hossain Shanto was the top-scorer with 48 runs from 35 balls, which included three sixes and two fours. Khulna were approaching yet another modest total on 151 for five after 18 overs until David Wiese took charge. The right-hander went struck two sixes and three fours in the last two overs and added 30 runs to help post the challenging total. With the ball it was Rangpur's medium pacer Forhad Reza who bagged the wickets of Al Amin, Nazmul, Mahmudullah Riyad and Ariful Haque and ended up with four for 32 from four overs.
HALES STORM AND GAYLE'S RESILIENCE
Chasing the big total, Rangpur made a flying start when English batsman Hales played the role of aggressor while Gayle was cautious at the other end. Hales opened up in the third over, striking pacer Subhasish Roy for four boundaries, and followed that with two sixes and a four off Junaid Khan in the next over. The right-hander reached his fifty in just 26 balls while, astonishingly, 'Universe Boss' Gayle was batting on just four runs. The 78-run opening stand finally came to an end after Hales was dismissed for a 29-ball 55, which included eight fours and three sixes. South African star batsman de Villiers then continued the tempo during a 43-run second-wicket stand with Gayle, during which the left-hander's contribution was just two runs. De Villiers was eventually dismissed for 41 off 25 balls, which was studded with four sixes and three fours.
RESPONSIBLE GAYLE
It was a disappointing start for West Indies six machine Gayle in the ongoing BPL, and the Jamaican was cautious at the start of the innings. Gayle was a mere spectator during his stands with Hales and de Villiers. After they left, however, he made sure that he guided his side past the winning line, opening up with three sixes off Mahmudullah in the 17th over to simplify the matter. Despite the slow start Gayle went on to register his first fifty of the edition off 34 balls. He was eventually dismissed in the 19th over for a 40-ball 55, having hit five sixes and two fours. But the damage had been done and, requiring just six off the last over, Rilee Roussow ended the match with a maximum off the third ball.
SCORES IN BRIEF
KHULNA TITANS v RANGPUR RIDERS
KHULNA: 181 for 6 in 20 overs (Nazmul 48, Wiese 35 not out, Taylor 32; Farhad 4-32, Mashrafe 1-17)
RANGPUR: 183 for 4 in 19.3 overs (Hales 55, Gayle 55, de Villiers 41; Yasir 2-47, Mahmudullah 1-28)
Result: Rangpur won by 6 wickets.
Player-of-the-match: Farhad Reza.
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