Bangabandhu BPL qualifier-2
Russells heroic sends Rajshahi into final
Sports Reporter, Dhaka
Andre Russells rapid-fire 54 sent Rajshahi Royals into the final when they crushed Chattogram Challengers by two wickets in the crucial qualifier-2 of the ongoing Akash-DTH Bangabandhu-Bangladesh Premier League at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur in the capital yesterday. As of now, they will lock horns with already-qualified Khulna Tigers in the final to lift the crown of the Bangabandhu-BPL.
Rajshahi Royals fell into initial batting trouble to chase the modest 165-run target against Chattogram Challengers when on-song pacer Rubel Hossain dismantled opener Afif Hossain cheaply. Afif gave a catch to Asela Gunaratne after scoring four-ball two. Royals kept Liton Kumar Das away from his keeping role to focus more on his batting but it did not pay dividends to them as he was entrapped an unfortunate run out by Mehedi Hasan Rana, who rattled Litons stumps with a direct throw before reaching his end, to take a risky single.
Coming into sixth over, Mahmudullah Riyad picked up the wicket of Alok Kapali when he wanted to hit Riyad for a big shot but was palmed by Rayad Emrit at mid-off, the ouster slumped them 34-3 from 14-2. Kapali got out for nine. Rajshahis globe-trotting Pakistani all-rounder Shoaib Malik bailed them out of the precarious 34-3 and cobbled together a useful 46 for the fourth-wicket stand with wicketkeeper-batsman Irfan Sukkur, who cracked 45 off 42 with half-a-dozen boundaries before being caught by Chadwick Walton off Mehedi Hasan Rana.
But Malik put up a skier to hit Ziaur Rahman after giving some dot balls and Mahmudullah comfortably palmed it in fine leg area. Shoaib Malik bashed 22-ball 14 without any big boundary or six. West Indies pinch-hitter Andre Russell came to the crease in Ziaur Rahmans unfinished last over after Maliks shocking exit. Russell came out of his shell after five balls at the crunch moment of the chase when they had required 76 runs from 30 balls.
In the 16th over, Russell in association with Mohammad Nawaz put on 19 that reduced the margin. Then Indies medium fast-bowler Rayad Emrit pushed them back foot with his double strikes when he eliminated Mohammad Nawaz, who struck five-ball 14 with two sixes and Forhad Reza, who stroked three-ball six though Emrit conceded 20 runs.
Rubel Hossain then annihilated Kamrul Islam Rabbi in the first delivery of his last over. Russell smoked a six after being made four dot balls that made victory-equation 31 from 12 balls. Russell reduced the margin further when he and Rahi scored 23 runs off Rana. Royals needed eight runs off the penultimate over. Riyad brought Asela Gunaratne to bowl the last over, where Russell finished their chase in emphatic fashion with no-ball six after making two successive dot balls while they had two wickets in hand and four balls to spare and was named player of the match for his dexterous performance with bat and ball.
Earlier, Chris Gayle smashed 60 as Chattogram Challengers compiled a modest 164 for nine against Rajshahi Royals in the crucial qualifier-2 of the ongoing Akash-DTH Bangabandhu-Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur yesterday. Rajshahi Royals skipper Andre Russell won the flip of the crucial make or break encounter for the final and unsurprisingly once again opted to field first on the newly-developed pitch in Mirpur. Chattogram Challengers promoted all-rounder Ziaur Rahman to open with hard-hitter Chris Gayle. Gayle hit local pacer Abu Jayed Chowdhury Rahi for two boundaries and a six in his first over from where Gayle chalked up 16 runs. But the West Indies stroke-maker was even more ruthless on Shoaib Malik as he took 18 runs (one six and three fours) from the Pakistani recruits over.
In the meantime, Challengers lost Ziaur Rahman (6) and Imrul Kayes (5) when the teams total were 22 and 45 respectively. Despite losing partners on the other end, the Gayle storm didnt stop. Skipper Mahmudullah Riyad came to the crease with his flamboyant style and tore apart Andre Russell.
Riyad hit Russell for two boundaries in his first over from which Challengers put up 13 runs and then a six and as many fours in his second over that leaked 12 more runs. Gayle, thereafter, notched up his first half-century of the season from just 21 balls by slamming Muhammad Nawaz for a towering six.
The duo added a gritty 52 runs for the third-wicket stand before breaking the dangerous partnership. Off-spinner Afif Hossain put brake on Gayles marauding devastation when the ruthless opener went ahead to smash another long-distant six but the delivery took a bit of turn and rattled his stumps.
Afif removed the West Indies batting maestro in identical fashion, what he did in the round-robin league-ending match, as if he is the bunny of Chris Gayle, who finally castled 60 off 24 deliveries laden with five maximum along with half-a-dozen boundaries.
In the very next over after Gayles departure, Challengers also lost Mahmudullah and wicketkeeper-batsman Nurul Hasan Sohan, which abruptly slowed their scoring spree that put a big impact on their total score. This time, Muhamamd Nawaz was accountable for the duo. Mahmudullah Riyad chipped in with 33 off 18 clobbering three sixes and as many fours.
Next batsmen Asela Gunaratne, Chadwick Walton and Rayad Emrit were struggling to score runs against Royals bowlers as they put on merely 13 runs from the next four overs. Experienced leg-spinner Alok Kapali meanwhile got rid of Walton cheaply. And Emrit was unfortunately run out by Irfan Sukkur off Afif Hossain in the last delivery of Kapalis third over with Chattogram teetering at 139 for seven in 16 overs.
Irfan was responsible for Nasum Ahmed later on as he was dismissed for a two-ball duck.
Gunaratne tried to stand against Royals bowlers, but Mohammad Irfan cut his stay short as he carted a 25-ball 31 that finally gave Challengers team total some respectability. Rubel Hossain remained unbeaten on eight.
For Rajshahi Royals, tall pacer Mohammad Irfan and his compatriot Mohammad Nawaz claimed two wickets each while Andre Russell, Alok Kapali and Afif Hossain grabbed a wicket apiece.
