Rajshahi book play-off berth beating Sylhet by 6 wickets
Md Abu Talha Sarker from Sylhet
Rajshahi Royals confirmed their play-off slot after Chattogram Challengers when they trumped Sylhet Thunder by six wickets in the fourth leg-ending match of the ongoing Akash-DTH Bangabandhu-Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium in Lakkatura, Sylhet yesterday.
Sylhet already derailed from the play-off race of the 2019 special BPL, where they won only a solitary match in their previous 10 matches prior to the match against Royals. As of now, they will have in hand a match that will be played against Cumilla Warriors in Dhaka on January 7.
By winning the match, Rajshahi Royals, who have earned 12 points from nine matches so far, added two
other points to their collection and regained the top spot with better net run-rate. Their points have matched with that of the Challengers, but Royals are ahead of them in terms of net run-rate.
Chasing the measly target of 144, Liton Kumar Das and Afif Hossain provided a good start to Rajshahi Royals but Sherfane Rutherford pinned down Liton when they were smoothly batting against Thunder bowlers. Liton clobbered four fours and two sixes in his 20-ball 36. Since then, Afif Hossain built another fluent partnership with captain Shoaib Malik but Afif was run out to take an unnecessary risky single when he was just four runs away from his second half-century.
He hit 46 off 30 with eight fours and cobbled together a helpful 35 for the second-wicket partnership with Shoaib Malik, who wanted to finish the innings with Irfan Sukkur. He smacked 31 with Irfan Sukkur for the third-wicket stand that crossed 100-odd. Sukkur fell to Delwar Hossain, who had Shoaib Malik in the same over later on.
But that did not stop them from victory. It has just delayed them for some more balls. Malik hit 27 off 22 with three sixes before having caught out by Abdul Mazid off Delwar.
Ravi Bopara later shored up the ship with Mohammad Nawaz, who finished the proceedings with an emphatic maximum when they had six scalps in hand and 29 balls to spare. Nawaz played an explosive innings of 17 from seven balls that laden with two sixes and a boundary. Afif Hossain was adjudged player of the match for sublime innings-chasing knock.
Earlier, riding on Mohammad Mithuns 47, rock-bottom Sylhet Thunder mustered a paltry 143-6 against Rajshahi Royals. Favoured by coins, Sylhet Thunder captain Andre Russell opted to bat first on Lakkaturas refurbished pitch where they got off to a watchful start but local boy Abu Jayed Chowdhury Rahi drew the first blood to Thunder when the pacer clean bowled opener Abdul Mazid, who made 16 off 11 with two sixes.
Just 10 runs later, tallest-bowler Mohammad Irfan was accountable for Johnson Charles when he was caught out by Irfan Sukkur. He hit eight. Liton Kumar Das dented Rajshahi further when captain Andre Fletcher was run out by the wicket-keeper, while they were reeling at 68 for three. The globe-trotting West Indies batsman struck 33-ball 25, hitting two boundaries.
Mohammad Mithun launched his tilt on Royals bowlers and took the total to 100-odd. He hit a useful 47 for the fourth-wicket stand before his unfortunate run out when he was three runs away from his half-century. Mithun was run out by Irfan Sukkur when he went to take the second but Sherfane Rutherford reached his end but Mithun faltered to complete his second run in the middle. His 38-ball 47 that laced with three fours and two sixes.
