Rangpur retain top spot in BPL Cricket

Sports Reporter :
Rangpur Riders retained their top position in the Ispahani Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) Cricket beating Durdanto Dhaka by 60 runs in their seventh match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in the capital’s Mirpur on Tuesday.

Rangpur Riders grabbed 10 points from seven matches, while Durdanto Dhaka remained with two points from six matches.

Sent into bat first, Rangpur Riders piled up a satisfactory total of 175 for the loss of four wickets in the allotted 20 overs and bundled out Dhaka for 115 off 18 overs.

Ace all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan returned to BPL Cricket with his gimmick all-round performance.

Shakib had been suffering from a problem in his retina of his eye. So, he could not bat.

But yesterday, Shakib made 34 from 20 deliveries featuring three sixes and one four.

Shakib captured three wickets in the space of 16 runs.

Shakib was adjudged the Man of the Match for his all-round performance.

Rangpur Riders had a formidable start with two openers Rony Talukdar and Babar Azam put on together 67 runs before Rony Talukdar was trapped leg before wicket by Arafat Sunny.

Rony cracked a windy 39. His 24-innings was laced with six fours and a sixer.

After Rony’s dismissal, Babar Azam and one-down Shakib Al Hasan contributed together 52 runs for the second wicket partnership before Babar Azam was dismissed by Mosaddek Hossain when Rangpur’s total was 119 for the loss of two wickets. Babar Azam knocked a sparkle 47. He hit five fours in his 43-ball innings.

After Babar’s departure, Shakib Al Hasan was dismissed by Mosaddek Hossain when Rangpur’s score was 126 for the loss of three wickets. In-form Azamatullah Omarzai (3) was caught & bowled by Sabbir Hossain when Rangpur’s total was 131 for the loss of four wickets.

Third-down Nurul Hasan and fourth-down Mohammad Nabi built a worthy partnership scoring together 44 runs in the unbroken fifth wicket stand. Mahmammad Nabi remained unbeaten with 29 runs.

He hit three sixes in his 16-ball innings. Nurul Hasan remained unbeaten with 16 runs.

Mosaddek Hossain bagged two wickets in the space of 30 runs, while Sabbir Hossain and Arafat Sunny took one wicket each for six and 26 runs respectively.

Durdanto Dhaka had a poor start as they lost their early two wickets for four runs.

Then opener Mohammad Naim and one-down Alex Ross mended the innings putting together 31 runs for the third wicket partnership before Alex Ross (2) was dismissed by Shakib Al Hasan when Dhaka’s total was 35 for the loss of three wickets.

Mohammad Naim notched up a polished 44. His 31-ball innings was belted with three sixes and three fours.

After Naim’s departure, Dhaka batters failed to make any notable partnership.

Salman Irshad, Hasan Mahmud and Mahedi Hasan bagged two wickets each instead of 17, 20 and 22 runs respectively.