Luck continued eluding Sylhet Super Stars who for the third successive time came so close, but denied a victory in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). After having defeated by one run in last two matches against Chittagong Vikings and Barisal Bulls, they tasted a six-run defeat to Rangpur Riders yesterday, being shuddered in pursuit of just 110 runs at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.Rangpur post third win to go top
Luck eludes Sylhet again
Sports Reporter
Luck continued eluding Sylhet Super Stars who for the third successive time came so close, but denied a victory in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). After having defeated by one run in last two matches against Chittagong Vikings and Barisal Bulls, they tasted a six-run defeat to Rangpur Riders yesterday, being shuddered in pursuit of just 110 runs at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
They couldnt chase down 109 runs in the last match against Barisal Bulls after a brilliant hattrick of Al-Amin Hossain fettered them. This time they were impeded by Shakib Al Hasan who shined in once again in both batting and bowling to be the man of the match for the consecutive second time.
Shakibs 33 runs gave Rangpur Riders a total of 109 for nine and given the malicious slower nature of the wicket, it was always a good total. Only a good start could bail Super Stars out from the danger that was always at stake. But Shakib jolted them amid Dilshan Munaweeras assault, taking two wickets in his first two overs.
After Shakibs initial burst, Thisara Perera smothered them in a tight three overs spell in which he conceded just three runs and took the wicket of Mominul Haque who kept Super Stars on track hitting 29 off 23. His compatriot Sachitra Senanayake joined the party, delivering a probing four overs spell at a stretch and gave away just 15 runs to take one wicket. Their seven overs at tandem in the middle turned the table to the Riders while Super Stars were on 53 for three in seventh overs despite the dismissal
of Mominul.
Even though Mominul was dismissed after a fluent knock, they had captain Mushfiqur Rahim in the crease. But he had to watch his colleagues pathetic surrender against the disciplined Rangpur attacks. Mushfiqur himself wasnt smart enough to keep the strike at hand most of the time like the last match. He finally was stranded on 25 not out, after his 50 not out against Barisal Bulls.
Mushfiqur himself, Munaweera and Mominul were the only three batsmen of Sylhet to reach double digit figure before they were finally bowled out for 103 in 19.2 overs.
Riders also got three batsmen who reached double figure. Apart from Shakibs 33, Thisara Perera made 21 while Lendl Simmons scored 13. Super Stars pace bowler Mohammad Shahid claimed his career best four for 12 to rattle the much-vaunted Riders batting line up. Ravi Bopara choked Riders in the middle, giving away just eight runs in his four overs and took one wicket. But surprisingly in the low scoring match, Sri Lankan spinner Ajantha Mendis was taken in disdain as he conceded 41 runs in his four overs. Rangpur indeed took forty percent runs of their innings from his bowling and kept their leading position in the point table intact, with their third win in fourth matches.
SCOREBOARD
Rangpur Riders innings:
L Simmons run out 13
Soumya c Mushfiqur b Shahid 7
Shakib c Cobb b Shahid 33
M Mithun c Mushfiqur b Nasum 4
Jahurul run out 8
T Perera b Bopara 21
D Sammy hit wicket b Nazmul 5
S Senanayake c Bopara b Shahid 7
A Sunny c Mushfiqur b Shahid 3
S Sajib not out 0
Abu Jayed not out 0
Extras (lb 3, w 5) 8
Total: (9 wickets; 20 overs) 109
Fall of wickets: 1-19, 2-23, 3-37, 4-54, 5-80, 6-90, 7-99, 8-108, 9-108.
BOWLING O M R W
M Shahid 4 1 12 4
A Mendis 4 0 41 0
D Munaweera 4 0 19 0
Nasum 2 0 15 1
R Bopara 4 0 8 1
Nazmul Islam 2 0 11 1
Sylhet Super Stars innings:
D Munaweera c Perera b Shakib 17
J Cobb lbw b Shakib 0
Mominul lbw b Perera 29
Mushfiqur not out 25
Nazmul Islam c b Senanayake 0
R Bopara lbw b Sunny 1
Nasum c Mithun b Jayed 7
Nazmul Hossain b Shakib 5
Nurul Hasan run out 9
M Shahid b Sammy 4
A Mendis c Senanayake b Jayed 3
Extras (lb 1, w 2) 3
Total: (all out; 19.2 overs) 103
Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-31, 3-52, 4-53, 5-56, 6-73, 7-85, 8-96, 9-100, 10-103.
BOWLING O M R W
Shakib 4 0 31 3
A Sunny 4 0 27 1
S Senanayake 4 0 15 1
T Perera 4 0 11 1
S Sajib 1 0 6 0
A Jayed 1.2 0 5 2
D Sammy 1 0 7 1
