Sports Reporter :Rangpur Riders beat Comilla Victorians by 21 runs in their Twenty20 cricket match of the 3rd Bangladesh Premier League at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Tuesday.Rangpur Riders collected 14 points from 10 matches while Comilla Victorians earned 12 points from nine matches.Rangpur Riders piled up a healthy 153 for the loss of six wickets in the stipulated 20 overs and then they bowled out Rangpur Riders for 132 off 19.5 overs.Comilla Victorians made a good start with Imrul Kayes and Mahmudul Hasan, the two openers added together 48 runs in the opening stand before Imrul Kayes was caught at the third man by Arafat Sunny off Daren Sammy. Imrul Kayes made the highest score of Comilla. He scored 38 from 24 balls featuring six fours and a sixer.After departure of Imrul Kayes, Mahmudul Hasan (8) was trapped leg before wicket by Saqlain Sajib when Comilla’s score was 59 for the loss of two wickets.One-down Ahmed Shehzad (10) was caught at the long-on by Thisara Perera from a delivery of Mohammad Nabi when Comilla’s total was 61 for the loss of three wickets.Ashar Zaidi (2) was caught at the slip by Lendl Simmons off Mohammad Nabi when Comilla’s score was 63 for the loss of four wickets.Fourth-down Shuvagata Hom (12) was bowled out by Arafat Sunny when Comilla’s total was 85 for the loss of five wickets.Six-down Andre Russell (9) was caught at the long-on by Thisara Perera off Shakib Al Hasan when Comilla’s score was 102 for the loss of six wickets.Then skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza (8) was caught at the long-on by Mohammad Nabi off Saqlain Sajib when Comilla’s total was 110 for the loss of seven wickets.Shoaib Malik (15) was caught at the cover by Arafat Sunny from a delivery of Thisara Perera when Comilla’s score was 112 for the loss of eight wickets.Dhiman Ghosh (2) was bowled out by Perera when Comilla’s total was 130 for the loss of nine wickets.Kamrul Islam Rabbi, the last batsman of Comilla was cleanly bowled out by Thisara Perera when Comilla’s innings came to an end.Thisara Perera grabbed three wickets at the cost of 18 runs while Mohammad Nabi and Saqlain Sajib bagged a couple of wickets each for 13 and 19 runs respectively.Earlier, Rangpur Riders had a poor start as opener Soumya Sarkar(5) was caught at the cover by Shuvagata Hom from a delivery of Abu Haider when Rangpur’s score was just six.Lendl Simmons (13), the other opener was trapped leg before wicket by Ashar Zaidi when Rangpur’s total was 39 for the loss of two wickets. Then Jahurul Islam and Shakib Al Hasan repaired the early damage contributing together 39 runs for the third wicket partnership before Shakib Al Hasan was caught at the long-leg by Ashar Zaidi off Kamrul Islam Rabbi when Rangpur’s total was 78 for the loss of three wickets.Jahurul Islam remained unbeaten with 62. His 50-ball innings was laced with seven fours and two sixes.After dismissal of Shakib Al Hasan, Thisara Perera (5) was caught at the long-off by Andre Russell from a delivery of Shoaib Malik when Rangpur’s total was 89 for the loss of four wickets.Then Jahurul Islam and Darren Sammy built another notable partnership for Rangpur Riders. They put on together 39 runs for the fifth wicket stand before Sammy was caught at the mid-wicket by Shoaib Malik off Abu Haider when Rangpur’s score was 128 for the loss of five wickets.Mohammad Nabi was caught at the deep mid-wicket by Shoaib Malik off Abu Haider when Rangpur’s total was 149 for the loss of six wickets.Darren Sammy and Shakib Al Hasan added 24 and 20 runs respectively to the Rangpur’s total.Abu Haider was the pick of Comilla bowlers with two wickets for 28 runs.
