Sabbir Hossain :
Rangpur Riders reached the final of the AKS Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) Twenty20 Cricket beating Comilla Victorins by 36 runs in their Qualifier-2 match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in the city’s Mirpur on Monday.
Rangpur Riders will face Dhaka Dynamites in the final at the same venue today. The high-voltage gala final starts at 6.00 pm.
Electing to bat first, Rangpur Riders piled up a mammoth total of 192 for the loss of three wickets in the stipulated 20 overs and then all out Comilla Victorians for 156 off 20 overs.
It may be mentioned that Rangpur Riders resumed their innings with the over-night score of 55 for the loss of one wicket in seven overs.
Rangpur Riders made a shaky start as they lost in-form opener Chris Gayle for just three runs when Rangpur’s total was 27.
Then Johnson Charles and Brendon McCullum salvaged their team from danger contributing together 151 runs for the second wicket partnership before Brendon Mc Cullum was cleanly bowled out by Hasan Ali when Rangpur’s total was 178 for the loss of two wickets.
Opener Johnson Charles remained unbeaten with 105. His 63-ball hurricane innings was studded with seven sixes and nine fours. Johnson was adjudged the Man of the Match for his match-winning innings.
McCullum hit a superb 78. His 46-ball stormy innings was decorated with nine sixes and one four.
Later, Rangpur failed to make any notable partnership.
Hasan Ali, Mohammad Saifuddin and Mahedi Hasan of Comilla Victorians took one wicket apiece.
Comilla Victorians made a good start as openers Tamim Iqbal and Liton Das contributed 54 runs before Tamim Iqbal was caught at the mid-off by Sohag Gazi off Mashrafe Bin Mortaza.
Tamim Iqbal hit a quick-fire 36 from 19 balls with six fours and a sixer.
Liton Das made a sparkle 39. His 28-ball knock was ornamented with two sixes and three fours. Liton was caught behind by Mohammad Mithun off Isuru Udana when Comilla’s score was 96 for the loss of four wickets.
Later, Marlon Samuels and Jos Buttler added together 41 runs for the fifth wicket partnership before Buttler was caught at the deep midwicket by Nazmul Islam off Ravi Bopara when Comilla’s total was 137 for the loss of five wickets.
Then Marlon Samuels was caught at the short fine leg by Johnson Charles off Bopara when Comilla’s score was 147 for the loss of six wickets.
Samuels and Buttler added 27 and 26 runs to the Comilla’s total
After dismissal of Samuels Comilla’s hope went into vapour.
Rubel Hossain of Rangpur Riders grabbed three wickets at the cost of 34 runs, while Bopara and Udana bagged a couple of wickets each for 17 and 24 runs respectively.
Besides, Sohag Gazi, Nazmul Islam and Mashrafe Bin Mortaza took one wicket each.
