Sixers dazzle after Kings ascend
The Sylhet leg of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) sprang into life yesterday in two contrasting matches at the Sylhet International Stadium. Both games had repercussions for the seven-team table as Rajshahi Kings moved up to fourth spot with a 20-run defeat of high-flying Dhaka Dynamites in a low-scoring day match before Sylhet Sixers lifted themselves from the bottom with a 27-run win over the power-packed Rangpur Riders in the night game that saw the highest total of the season so far.
Sylhet opener Liton Das hit a sparkling 43-ball 70 studded with nine fours and a six to get them off to a flyer after they were asked to bat first. If Liton started well, skipper David Warner ended in genius fashion with an unbeaten 36-ball 61. The left-hander saved the best for last -- actually taking guard right-handed in the 19th over against Chris Gayle to hit a six and two fours as Sylhet plundered 52 runs off the last five overs to post 187 for five.
In the day match, Rajshahi inflicted Dhaka's first defeat of the season in the Dynamites' fifth match, proving that a T20 match can be swung in favour of the weaker team if the bowling attack is on the same page and if someone, like left-arm spinner Arafat Sunny, excels.
Rajshahi compiled 136 for six after electing to bat first, riding on an attractive 31-ball 45 from Marshall Ayub, playing his first BPL match since 2013. Marshall, who came in to the side in place of Soumya Sarkar, put on a 75-run second-wicket partnership with Shahriar Nafees -- who was playing his first BPL 6 game -- that formed the backbone of the innings.
Rajshahi's successful defence was founded on a disciplined bowling performance in the Powerplay overs. Mehedi caught Sunil Narine plumb in front in the first ball of the second over. Udana then bowled Hazratullah Zazai with a yorker in the third over and then Sunny came in and changed the game. He had Russell caught at mid-on off his first ball in the fourth over. Two more tight overs from Kamrul Islam and Mustafizur Rahman left the score on a sub-par 32 for three after the first six overs.
Sunny then got the prize wicket of Shakib in the ninth over, caught off a slog sweep, before claiming his third in his third over by skidding an arm ball through Rony Talukdar's defence to end with superb figures of three for eight from four overs.
From 53 for five after 11 overs the last hope was Kieron Pollard and he holed out in the 18th over off Kamrul. Nurul Hasan reduced the margin with a 14-ball 21 before holing out off Mustafizur in the last over as Dhaka ended on 116 for nine.
Back to the evening match, it seemed that it would be another one-sided contest after Rangpur's first three wickets -- Gayle, Mehedi Maruf and Alex Hales -- fell to Sohail Tanvir and Mehedi Hasan Rana to leave them reeling on 11 for three in the third over. Rilee Roussow then continued his good form with 58 off 32 balls that included three fours and four big sixes in an 89-run fourth-wicket stand with Mohammad Mithun. What seemed headed to be a close match turned back Sylhet's way when he was bowled by Taskin Ahmed with a ball that kept low and was followed by Mithun in the 14th over. Mashrafe Bin Mortaza hit 33 but that, like Nurul's innings earlier in the day, only served to reduce the margin.