Alex Hales struck an unbeaten 113 as Rangpur Riders overhauled a 200-plus target with incredible ease to register a crushing eight-wicket victory against Sylhet Strikers in the first match of the Bangladesh Premier League’s Sylhet phase Monday.
Sylhet seemed to be in a position of dominance when they compiled a hefty 205/4 after being asked to bat first with their local players coming out all guns blazing.
But Hales, who clobbered 10 fours and seven sixes, led the side to an emphatic win, helping Rangpur canter to victory with an over to spare, and handing Sylhet their second straight defeat.
Hales fittingly signed off the game with two consecutive maximums as Rangpur reached 210/2 to record their fourth successive victory.
The match had a total of 31 sixes, highest in BPL history, eclipsing the 29 hit by Chattogram Challengers and Comilla Victorians last year and Fortune Barishal and Durbar Rajshahi this season.
Sylhet struck 16 over boundaries while Rangpur smote 15.
Tanzim Hasan Sakib, who took both the wickets to fall, gave Sylhet an early breakthrough, handing Azizul Hakim his second straight duck in the BPL.
It was overall his third no score in a row, having also been dismissed for nought in the last match of the National Cricket League Twenty20.
But that mattered little as Saif Hasan added a match-winning 186-run partnership with Hales for the second wicket.
Saif smashed a 49-ball 80 with three fours and seven sixes before being dismissed by Tanzim in the 18th over.
In the next over, Hales and Iftikhar Ahmed, who made eight not out, took the side home.
Earlier, riding on half-centuries from Rony Talukdar and Zakir Hasan and some late onslaught, Sylhet posted 205 losing four wickets.
Rony paved the platform for the big total with a 32-ball 54, a knock laced with seven fours and three sixes while another local recruit Zakir hammered four sixes in his 38-ball 50.
While the local duo did the initial job with quickfire knocks, Aaron Jones and Jaker Ali Anik gave the finishing touch with an even more aggressive stand.
American recruit Jones hoicked an unbeaten 19-ball 38 with one four and four sixes while Jaker was not out on 20 after playing just five balls.
He hit three sixes in his knock to propel the side past 200.
Saifuddin was the top bowler for Rangpur with 2/31 in four overs.
9TH MATCH
Sylhet Strikers 205/4 (Rony 54, Zakir 50) lost to Rangpur Riders 210/2 in 19 overs (Hales 113*, Saif 80) by 8 wickets
