Sports Reporter :
Sylhet Strikers registered their first win in the Ispahani Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) Cricket beating Durdanto Dhaka by 15 runs in their sixth match at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Friday.
Sylhet Strikers earned two points from six matches, while Durdanto Dhaka collected same points from five matches.
Sent into bat first, Sylhet Strikers piled up a fighting total of 142 for the loss of eight wickets in the stipulated 20 overs and then restricted Durdanto Dhaka to 127 for the loss of nine wickets in 20 overs.
Sylhet Strikers faced an early debacle as they lost three wickets for 13 runs.
One-down Samit Patel and third-down Mohammad Mithun mended the innings contributing together 57 runs for the fourth wicket partnership before Samit Patel was dismissed by Arafat Sunny when Sylhet’s score was 70 for the loss of four wickets.
Mohammad Mitthun was his team’s most successful batter. He hit a captain’s knock of 59. His 46-ball innings was belted with three sixes and four fours.
Samit Patel hit a run-a-ball 32 with three fours and a sixer.
Mohammad Mithun and fifth-down Benny Howell built another notable partnership adding together 31 runs in the six-wicket stand before Benny Howell (11) was bowled out by Arafat Sunny when Sylhet’s total was 104 for the loss of six wickets.
After Howell’s dismissal, Mohammad Mithun and sixth-down Ariful Haque scored together 27 runs for the seventh wicket partnership before Ariful Haque was caught behind by wicketkeeper Irfan Sukkur off Shoriful Islam when Sylhet’s score was 131 for the loss of seven wickets.
Ariful Haque hit a windy 21. He hit three sixes in his nine-ball knock.
Left-arm pacer Shoriful Islam captured four wickets in the space of 24 runs, while Arafat Sunny bagged two wickets instead of 23 runs.
Taskin Ahmed and Usman Qadir took one wicket each conceding 19 and 36 runs respectively.
Sylhet’s Zimbabwean recruit Richard Ngarava played the key role to restrict Dhaka innings. Ngarava claimed four wickets instead of 30 runs and was adjudged the Man of the Match. He got a good support from Reajaur Rahman Raja, Benny Howell and Nayeem Hasan. Raja grabbed two wickets giving 41 runs, while Howell and Nayeem Hasan picked up one wicket each for 16 and 19 runs respectively.
Dhaka could make only a notable partnership.
Second-down Saif Hassan and third-down Alex Ross added 31 runs in the third wicket stand before Saif Hassan (17) was run out by a joint-effort of Nayeem Hasan and wicketkeeper Mohammad Mithun when Dhaka’s score was 50 for the loss of three wickets.
Taskin Ahmed remained unbeaten with 27 runs including six fours.
Besides, Alex Ross and Saif Hassan added 20 and 17 runs respectively to the Dhaka total.