Sylhet Royals continue winning, beat Ctg Kings by 3 wkts
Sylhet Royals players celebrating the wicket of Naeem Islam of Chittagong Kings during a BPL T20 match at the M A Aziz Stadium in Chittagong Monday.
CHITTAGONG, Jan 28 (UNB): Sylhet Royals retained their winning streak in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) T20 Season 2 beating the home side Chittagong Kings by three wickets at the MA Aziz Stadium here Monday.
Replying to 172 posted by Chittagong Kings for 6 wickets riding on opener Naeem Islam's 72, Sylhet Royals overhauled the target scoring 176 for 7 in 19.3 overs with contributions from Irish top order Paul Stirling (38) and Afghanistan's Mohammad Nabi (43), Nazmul Hossain Milon (32) and Zimbabwean Elton Chigumbura (31*).
Number nine Suhrawardi Shuvo found the winning runs hitting a four off a Rubel Hossain delivery in the 3rd ball of the last over. In the first ball of the over, Elton Chigumbura smashed a six over the long on when the Royals needed 8 runs with three wickets in hand.
Earlier, asked to bat first, Naeem Islam and Ravi Bopara provided the Chittagong Kings a terrific platform putting 78 runs off 54 balls in the opening stand. English batsman Ravi Bopara scored 34 runs off 29 balls with three fours and a six while his partner Naeem Islam played a prolific 52-ball 72 that included nine fours.
Naeem smashed boundaries through the square leg fence with handsome sweeps. He also produced some slog-sweeps dragging the over-pitched deliveries on the outside of the off-stumps. But after his dismissal in the 17th over (143-5), number five Ryan ten Doeschate (21 off 10) and number six Jacob Oram (13 off 12) added some runs.
Eventually, the Chittagong Kings managed a below par total (172) compared to the start their openers provided.
Slow left-arm Suhrawardi Shuvo, though expensive, picked up the crucial wicket of Naeem Islam and ten Doeschate for 35 runs while off-break Sohag Gazi claimed two wickets for 21 runs in 3.1 overs.
Chasing 173 runs, Sylhet Royals felt an early jolt as opener Hamilton Masakadza (0) got out to a Jacob Oram's back off length in the third ball of the first over. As Masakadza came down the track and skied the ball, it went to the long on area where ten Doeschate pulled off a brilliant diving catch.
Sylhet Royals lost one down Mominul Haque (6) in the 4th over and skipper Mushfiqur Rahim (4) in the 7th over with team score at 43 for 3 while the other opener, Paul Stirling, kept on a charge hitting six fours and a six. Stirling got out in the 9th over playing 25 balls with team total 56-4.
But number five Mohammad Nabi and Nazmul Hossain Milon launched a harsh counter attack. In the 5th wicket stand, the pair slammed 64 runs off 33 balls. Nabi stroked four fours and two sixes in his 26-ball blitz of 43 while Milon scored 32 off 23 with three fours.
Then all-rounder Elton Chigumbura played the finisher's role. With quickfire 31 runs off 17 balls with three sixes and a four, the Zimbabwean steered his side home.
Chittagong Kings medium pacer Kevon Cooper of West Indies came up with an impressive spell of 21-3 in 4 overs while Sylhet's Afghan all-rounder Mohammad Nabi was adjudged the player of the match.
Sylhet Royals, with 10 points from five straight wins, are at the top of the table above Dhaka Gladiators who so far have secured six points from four matches.
Replying to 172 posted by Chittagong Kings for 6 wickets riding on opener Naeem Islam's 72, Sylhet Royals overhauled the target scoring 176 for 7 in 19.3 overs with contributions from Irish top order Paul Stirling (38) and Afghanistan's Mohammad Nabi (43), Nazmul Hossain Milon (32) and Zimbabwean Elton Chigumbura (31*).
Number nine Suhrawardi Shuvo found the winning runs hitting a four off a Rubel Hossain delivery in the 3rd ball of the last over. In the first ball of the over, Elton Chigumbura smashed a six over the long on when the Royals needed 8 runs with three wickets in hand.
Earlier, asked to bat first, Naeem Islam and Ravi Bopara provided the Chittagong Kings a terrific platform putting 78 runs off 54 balls in the opening stand. English batsman Ravi Bopara scored 34 runs off 29 balls with three fours and a six while his partner Naeem Islam played a prolific 52-ball 72 that included nine fours.
Naeem smashed boundaries through the square leg fence with handsome sweeps. He also produced some slog-sweeps dragging the over-pitched deliveries on the outside of the off-stumps. But after his dismissal in the 17th over (143-5), number five Ryan ten Doeschate (21 off 10) and number six Jacob Oram (13 off 12) added some runs.
Eventually, the Chittagong Kings managed a below par total (172) compared to the start their openers provided.
Slow left-arm Suhrawardi Shuvo, though expensive, picked up the crucial wicket of Naeem Islam and ten Doeschate for 35 runs while off-break Sohag Gazi claimed two wickets for 21 runs in 3.1 overs.
Chasing 173 runs, Sylhet Royals felt an early jolt as opener Hamilton Masakadza (0) got out to a Jacob Oram's back off length in the third ball of the first over. As Masakadza came down the track and skied the ball, it went to the long on area where ten Doeschate pulled off a brilliant diving catch.
Sylhet Royals lost one down Mominul Haque (6) in the 4th over and skipper Mushfiqur Rahim (4) in the 7th over with team score at 43 for 3 while the other opener, Paul Stirling, kept on a charge hitting six fours and a six. Stirling got out in the 9th over playing 25 balls with team total 56-4.
But number five Mohammad Nabi and Nazmul Hossain Milon launched a harsh counter attack. In the 5th wicket stand, the pair slammed 64 runs off 33 balls. Nabi stroked four fours and two sixes in his 26-ball blitz of 43 while Milon scored 32 off 23 with three fours.
Then all-rounder Elton Chigumbura played the finisher's role. With quickfire 31 runs off 17 balls with three sixes and a four, the Zimbabwean steered his side home.
Chittagong Kings medium pacer Kevon Cooper of West Indies came up with an impressive spell of 21-3 in 4 overs while Sylhet's Afghan all-rounder Mohammad Nabi was adjudged the player of the match.
Sylhet Royals, with 10 points from five straight wins, are at the top of the table above Dhaka Gladiators who so far have secured six points from four matches.
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