Barisal Bulls were skittled out for the lowest ever Bangladesh Premier League total (58) after Shahid Afridi-led Sylhet Super Stars won the toss and elected to bowl first.
“Mushfiq was not comfortable [to lead] and he told the team owner,” said Afridi who took over captaincy from Mushfiq to see an immediate turnaround. Barisal were all out for 58 in 16 overs.
West Indian Evin Lewis had his dream of opening the innings alongside his childhood hero and compatriot Chris Gayle, but the destructive pair hardly troubled Sylhet bowlers. After scoring 12 from 15 balls, including two boundaries, Lewis was the first to depart with the scorecard reading 15 in three overs.
Hailing from Narayanganj, paceman Mohammad Shahid joined the party in the next over just after Gayle gave the impression of loosening up. Following a six over the covers, Gayle held out at long-on for run-a-ball eight.
cFrom there onwards Rubel Hossain and Ravi Bopara’s bowling partnership saw the Bulls collapse like a house of cards. Rubel dismissed Rony Talukder and Mahmudullah cheaply before Bopara, who gave just two runs in his first two overs, removed Sabbir Rahman, Seekkuge Prasanna and Mehedi Maruf in his third over to restrict the side to 37 for seven in 10 overs.
Afridi took the ball to do further damage before Shahid wrapped up Barisal’s innings by having Mohammad Sami (16) caught at mid-on.
Teams
Sylhet Super Stars
Abdur Razzak, RS Bopara, Hammad Azam, DSNFG Jayasuriya, Junaid Siddique, Mohammad Shahid, Mominul Haque, EMDY Munaweera, Mushfiqur Rahim*†, Nazmul Hossain Milon, Nazmul Islam, Nurul Hasan, Rubel Hossain, OA Shah, Shahid Afridi, Sohail Tanvir, Subashis Roy
Barisal Bulls
Al-Amin Hossain, KK Cooper, N Dutta, RR Emrit, CH Gayle, E Lewis, Mahmudullah*, Mehedi Maruf, Mohammad Sami, Nadif Chowdhury, S Prasanna, Rony Talukdar†, Sabbir Rahman, Sajedul Islam, Shahriar Nafees, Sharifullah, Taijul Islam, BRM Taylor
