Rangpur Riders win a thriller

A thorough performance with the ball enabled Rangpur to pip Sylhet by six runs in another close finish in this Bangladesh Premier League at Mirpur Stadium today.

Chasing a paltry total of 110 for their first victory, Sylhet Super Stars fell by the wayside as Rangpur took wickets at crucial junctures of this contest.

Shakib did the early damage and finished with three wickets for 31 runs in four overs. He was splendidly supported by Sunny, Senanayake, Perera and Abu Jayed.

Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim and Munaweera were the only batsmen from Sylhet to reach double-figures.

Mendis was the last wicket to fall when he was sent back by Abu Jayed to trigger wild celebrations from Rangpur dressing room.

Mohammad Shahid fell to Sammy for 4, and could have avoided going for a wild slog with only a handful of runs to get.

When Nurul Hasan was run out for nine, victory seemed a bridge too far for Sylhet.

Shakib Al Hasan took his third wicket in the match in the 17th over when his delivery rattled the stumps to dismiss Vazmul Hossain Milon for 5.

Sylhet needed 25 from 23 balls when Shakib got the vital breakthrough.

Rangpur kept themselves in the hunt for an unlikely win when they took the sixth Sylhet to fall with another 37 runs to get from 32 balls.

Nasum Ahmed went for a pull, got a top-edge and the keeper ran around for a well-judged catch in the 15 th over the exciting match. He scored seven before being dismissed.

Sylhet Super Stars’ chase stumbled even further as it reached the half-way mark, as Arafat Sunny sent back Ravi Bopara with the arm-ball.

The ball held its line, struck the pad in line and Bopara had to leave after scoring only on run.

The fall of the fifth wicket sent the alarm bells ringing in Sylhet’s dressing-room.

Senanayake gave Rangpur Riders a glimmer of hope, when he caught and bowled Nazmul Hasan for a duck to put the skids on Sylhet’s innings.

Although Riders don’t have much to defend, their bowlers were making things difficult for Rangpur with tight bowling.

Mominul Haque was unfortunate to see the umpire’s finger to a loud appeal from Perera, as the replays showed a clear inside-edge on to the pads.

He looked good at the crease, especially while smashing Shakib all around the park. The Bangladeshi left-hander scored 29 useful runs from 23 balls with six boundaries to his name.

Soon after getting rid of Cobb, Shakib struck again in the fourth over when Sylhet’s dependable batter Munaweera holed out at long-off.

Munaweera came down the track but struck the ball straight to Perera after scoring 17 from 11 balls with two fours and a six

Sylhet Super Stars were rocked early in their chase when Rangpur captain Shakib Al Hasan fooled Josh Cobb with a straighter one.

The ball struck Cobb’s pad in line, and the umpire had to make an easy decision in the end.

Earlier, Sylhet Super Stars kept Rangpur Riders down to only 109 runs in 20 overs, mainly due to an inspired bowling performance from Muhammad Shahid and support from the fielders.

Shahid was at his pacy best, and took four crucial wickets for only 12 runs in four overs. Nasum Ahmed, Ravi Bopara and Nazmul Islam captured a wicket each.

Shakib Al Hasan was the lone warrior as far as his team is concerned, and fought on till the end with 33 runs from 37 balls. He struck two fours and a six, but saw the other batters literally throw their wickets away on a dismal day for the Riders.

Rangpur Riders innings could hardly get out of second gear, as Sylhet bowlers kept striking at regular intervals in this match

Senanayake was the seventh wicket to fall for Riders, when he was sent back by Muhammad Shahid for seven during the death overs.

Darren Sammy’s wicket in the 17th over snuffed all chances of a decent score for Rangpur. Sammy went too back to play the cut shot and in the process disturbed his furniture. He couldn’t score than five runs.

Thisara Perera smashed 21 from 20 with two big sixes, but was bowled by Ravi Bopara to put Sylhet in the driver’s seat.

School-boy cricket error sent back Jahurul Islam of Rangpur for 8 in the tenth over. Jahurul ran with the call, his partner didn’t respond when Bopara collected the ball, and Mushfiqur didn’t make any mistake.

Rangpur were by now struggling to up the ante after the regular fall of wickets, and their fans hope the lower-order can lift the Riders out of the morass.

Sylhet dealt Rangpur a massive blow when the in-form Mohammad Mithun was dismissed for four in the seventh over.

Nasum Ahmed enticed Mithun to come down the track, the batsman was beaten in flight and Mushy completed the formalities.

Rangpur’s bad start got worse as their West Indian opener was run-out for 13 runs when the bullet-throw left his stranded at the keeper’s end.

Simmons smashed two fours in the 14 balls he faced during his brief knock.

Muhammad Shahid of Sylhet gave his team the big wicket of Soumya Sarkar early when the Bangladeshi batsman was caught behind for seven in the third over.

Soumya’s habit of hanging his bat outside the off-stump let him down once again, and lasted only eight balls in this game.

Rangpur Riders skipper Shakib Al Hasan called it right when the coin was flipped and opted to bat first against Sylhet Super Stars in their fourth game in the BPL-2015.

Although Riders top the table among the six teams, they are yet to fire on all cylinders. Even their captain complained of fatigue and jetlag, but was feeling good about his bowling.

Sylhet have tasted defeats, two in a row, in the closest of margins, and may fall in the trap of over analyzing, something their captain Mushfiqur Rahim must avoid at all costs.

The last night saw some lop-sided encounters, and fans would love another close finish when Riders and Super Stars lock horns today.

Sylhet Super Stars Team

EMDY Munaweera, Mominul Haque, RS Bopara, Nurul Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim (Wicketkeeper, Captain), OA Shah, Nazmul Hossain Milon, Nazmul Islam, Mohammad Shahid, FH Edwards, Subashis Roy, Nasum Ahmed, Abu Sayeem, JJ Cobb, BJ Hodge, BAW Mendis, Junaid Siddique and Suhrawadi Shuvo

Rangpur Riders Team

LMP Simmons, Soumya Sarkar, Mohammad Mithun (Wicketkeeper), NLTC Perera, DJG Sammy, Shakib Al Hasan (Captain), Al-Amin, Jahurul Islam, SMSM Senanayake, Arafat Sunny, Abu Jayed, Muktar Ali, Saqlain Sajib, Misbah-ul-Haq, Murad Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Abdullah Al Mamun and Wahab Riaz

Sylhet players wait for batsman to arrive at wicket. File Photo: STAR