Lewis Gregory’s scintillating blitz outshone Avishka Fernando’s innings-extending knock as Rangpur Rangers thumped Chattogram Challengers by six wickets in their leg-ending encounter of the ongoing Bangabandhu-Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram yesterday. By virtue of winning the match, Rangpur clawed back on winning ways after their fourth straight losses, two of which were in the first leg in Dhaka and the remaining two were in the second phase of the Port City round. Chasing a modest 163-run target to win, Rangpur received a heavy blow when they lost both the openers –

Mohammad Naim Sheik (4) and Cameron Delport (4) – inside three overs. Rangers new-captain Tom Abell compounded their batting woes further when Rubel Hossain dispatched him. The English cricketer struck a run-a-ball 24, laced with three boundaries.

Lewis Gregory finally slotted the team home with six wickets in hand and eight balls to spare. He added 40 with Shadman Islam for the fourth and an unbeaten 91 fifth-wicket with Fazle Mahmud on way to his match-winning 76.

His indefatigable knock of 37-ball 76 emblazoned with five lofty shots over the ropes and half-a-dozen boundaries. Fazle Mahmud remained stranded at 38. Lewis Gregory was later adjudged player of the match for his match-winning blitz.

Earlier, Chattogram Challengers managed to put on 163 for seven against an apparently demoralised Rangpur Rangers side, thanks to Avishka Fernando’s fluent 72.

Chattogram brought a change in their playing XI, where they picked English all-rounder Liam Plunkett in place of Kesrick Williams. On the other hand, Rangpur swapped their captain and picked English all-rounder Tom Abell as the new captain replacing Mohammad Nabi.

Along with that, they brought three changes in their playing XI where they replaced Mohammad Shahzad, Arafat Sunny and Taskin Ahmed by Shadman Islam Anik, Jahurul Islam Omi and Sanjit Saha Deep in an effort to change their fortune in the BPL as they were yet to see any win despite having played four matches.

After winning the toss, Rangers new captain Tom Abell invited his counterpart Mushfiqur Rahim to bat first on Chattogram’s surface, where Mustafizur Rahman jolted the Challengers top-order this time in the very fourth delivery when he provided the first breakthrough for Rangers sending Lendl Simmons back for first-ball duck. The pacer, who was going through a bad patch for so long, finished a maiden over.

Avishka Fernando attempted to repair the innings together with Challengers captain Imrul Kayes, who failed to shine with his bat, whereby Fernando was continuing his devastation on the other end. Imrul (10) was dismissed by Lewis Gregory, who later outwitted dangerous Chadwick Walton.

Fernando then stitched together a couple of partnerships, including 44 runs with Nasir Hossain (9) for the third-wicket and another 29 runs of fourth-wicket partnership with Chadwick Walton, who made 16 off 14 with a maximum before getting bowled.

Fernando finally stroked 72 off 40, clobbering eight boundaries and four big shots over the boundary before getting bowled by Sanjit Saha Deep.

By then, wicketkeeper-batsman Nurul Hasan Sohan had crossed a 100-run mark with West Indies batsman Chadwick Walton before his dismissal. But young pacer Mukidul Islam Mugdho was accountable for Sohan, who got out for 20.

Mustafizur Rahman made Muktar Ali his second prey when the latter put up a catch that was palmed by Tom Abell. Liam Plunkett’s late fire (12-ball 17) gave the total some respectability.

Mustafizur, who bowled well in the initial three overs and claimed two wickets giving away nine runs, later lost his tempo and conceded 14 runs. Mustafizur and Gregory evenly shared four spoils between them for the Rangers.