Rangpur Riders produced a commanding display to defeat Chittagong Vikings by 72 runs in their BPL 6 encounter at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium Friday.
How the action unfolded
Chasing 240, Chittagong managed to score 167 for the loss of eight wickets in their stipulated 20 overs.
Opener Yasir Ali was the lone fighter for the Vikings as he scored 78 off 48 balls, including half a dozen fours and three sixes.
Rangpur skipper Mashrafe bin Mortaza took three wickets.
The game changers
Rangpur scored 239 in their allotted 20 overs losing four wickets, thanks to brilliant centuries by opener Alex Hales and No 3 batsman Rilee Rossouw.
Hales and Rossouw formed a 174-run partnership for the second wicket, the third highest stand in BPL history.
Hales scored 100 off 48 balls while Rossouw remained unbeaten on 100 off 51 deliveries.
Hales was adjudged man of the match.
KEY MOMENTS
Hales’ blistering century
Hales showed his class against the Vikings, scoring a scintillating hundred off just 47 balls with 11 fours and five sixes before getting dismissed off the next delivery.
Hales and Rossouw added 174 off just 78 balls.
This is the highest partnership for any wicket this season.
The right-handed Hales played some beautiful strokes all around the park, and it was great scene for the spectators.
In-form Rossouw blasts ton
The in-form Rossouw also came to the party, and played yet another splendid knock.
The left-hander remain not out with eight fours and six sixes.
Rossouw is currently leading the highest-scorers’ chart of BPL 6 with 459 runs, at a staggering average of 114.75, in nine innings.
Mushfiq’s triple sixes in same over
Chasing a mammoth 240, Chittagong were struggling from the beginning.
Captain Mushfiqur Rahim struck three sixes in the sixth over within four deliveries against pacer Shafiul Islam.
Those three shots were all brilliant, and after watching those strokes, the Chittagong fans probably had a wild dream about pulling off a miracle.
But Mushfiq was adjudged leg-before wicket against spinner Nazmul Islam, and the dream faded away soon.
Yasir’s impressive 78
Yasir offered some fight till the end and tried to score quickly for the Vikings.
The youngster however, could not find any partner in the middle who could support him and get near the target of 240.
Yasir got out in the 16th over against Mashrafe, a good effort from the right-hander.
BPL standing
Rangpur now have 10 points from nine matches, and will face Dhaka Dynamites in their next match.
Chittagong remain top of the points table with 12 points, and will face Rajshahi Kings Saturday.
30TH MATCH, CHVvRR
RANGPUR RIDERS INNINGS R B
Gayle lbw b Jayed 2 6
Hales c sub (Nihaduzzaman) b Raza 100 48
Rossouw not out 100 51
De Villiers c Khaled b Jayed 1 2
Mithun b Robiul 15 10
Nahidul not out 11 4
Extras (lb 1, nb 1, w 8) 10
Total (20 Overs) 239/4
Fall Of Wickets
1-6 (Gayle), 2-180 (Hales), 3-194 (De Villiers), 4-227 (Mithun)
Bowling
Frylinck 2-0-14-0, Jayed 4-0-35-2, Khaled 3-0-50-0, Sanjamul 3-0-37-0, Robiul 4-0-54-1, Raza 4-0-48-1
CHITTAGONG VIKINGS INNINGS R B
Shahzad b Reza 20 12
Yasir c De Villiers b Mashrafe 78 48
Raza b Mashrafe 3 3
Mushfiq lbw b Nazmul 22 11
Zadran c Nahidul b Shahidul 1 4
Mosaddek c Shafiul b Mashrafe 14 13
Sanjamul run out (Nazmul) 4 7
Robiul c Nazmul b Reza 7 7
Jayed not out 10 9
Khaled not out 6 6
Extras (lb 1, w 1) 2
Total (20 Overs) 167/8
Fall Of Wickets
1-28 (Shahzad), 2-33 (Raza), 3-67 (Mushfiq), 4-79 (Zadran), 5-120 (Mosaddek), 6-142 (Yasir), 7-151 (Sanjamul), 8-151 (Robiul)
Bowling
Nazmul 4-0-31-1, Mashrafe 4-0-34-3, Reza 4-0-29-2, Shafiul 3-0-35-0, Nahidul 1-0-9-0, Shahidul 4-0-28-1
Rangpur Riders won by 72 runs
MoM: Alex Hales (RR)
