Published on 12:00 AM, January 17, 2019

BPL SPICE

On a day that saw the novel practice of Rajshahi players donning jerseys with their mothers' names, Isuru Udana pays tribute to his mother Heema after bowling Dhaka's Hazratullah Zazai yesterday. PHOTO: STAR
Sports Reporter from Sylhet

DIFFERENT STYLINGS OF WARNER

If there was any doubt about the wealth of talent that Australia, currently struggling in a home series against India, were missing out on by not having David Warner in their midst, one only had to tune into last night's BPL game between Sylhet Sixers and Rangpur Riders. In the 19th over of Sylhet's innings, sent down by Chris 'Universe Boss' Gayle, Warner showed that there was more than one boss in Sylhet.

Having faced 32 balls to score 47, the left-handed Warner suddenly decided to take guard as a right-hander. Before being slapped with a one-year international ban for tampering, Warner was known to hit a few switch hits, but taking guard with the opposite hand before the bowler bowled was new even for the innovative Warner. He proved that it wasn't idle improvisation by tonking his first ball as a right-hander straight over Gayle's head for six. He then swept Gayle, as a right-hander, for four. Just to prove that he hadn't forgotten his switch-hitting prowess, he then became a left-hander after Gayle delivered and swept a four to fine leg… or reverse-switch-swept to third man. The English language can only go so far.

 

 

A STRATEGIC BATHROOM BREAK GONE WRONG

At the end of the 15th over of Dhaka Dynamites' chase of Rajshahi Kings' 136 for six, the teams decided to take the strategic break. Kieron Pollard was batting with young Mohammad Naim, and seemed comfortable enough during the two-and-a-half minute interval. However, when Naim holed out off Mehedi Hasan Miraz at the end of the 16th over, Pollard was seen sprinting off the field like the proverbial racehorse who needs to relieve itself. Next batsman Nurul Hasan had come in and along with the Rajshahi fielders, waited for around six minutes before the big West Indian lumbered down the pavilion steps again. Whether it was to get some sly extra advice from the management, or whether Mehedi's off-spin had suddenly caused a nervous bladder, none of it helped. Pollard hit his first ball back in the air to long on, where Ryan ten Doeschate and Soumya Sarkar combined for a smart relay catch. Pollard walked off, probably thinking that he may as well have waited three balls.

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