Dhaka Dynamites’ West Indian all-rounder Andre Russell celebrates after guiding his team to win in their Bangladesh Premier League Twenty20 match against Rangpur Riders at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Wednesday.— New Age photo
Dhaka Dynamites ended the title defence of Rangpur Riders in the Bangladesh Premier League with a five-wicket win in the second qualifier to join Comilla Victorians in the final on Wednesday.
Paceman Rubel Hossain set up the win with 4-23 as Dhaka bowled out Rangpur for 142 runs before racing to 147-5 in 16.4 overs at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.
West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell finished the game in style, hitting left-arm spinner Nazmul Islam three consecutive sixes in the 17th over of the innings to stay unbeaten on 40 off 19 balls.
Asked to bat first, Rangpur began with caution before Nadif Chowdhury, who was playing his first game, exploded as he struck Shuvagata Hom for three sixes in the fourth over of the innings.
Shuvagata, however, had the last laugh as Nadif’s attempted fourth six in the same over ended up as a catch to Kieron Pollard at deep midwicket, ending his brief 12-ball innings of 27 runs.
Chris Gayle ended his frustrating tournament poking a delivery of Rubel well outside off-stump as Nurul Hasan completed a sharp catch to send him back for 15 off 13 balls.
Rubel got the biggest of his four scalps in the next ball when tournament’s leading run-scorer Rilee Rossouw pulled him powerfully only to top-edge a catch to Pollard at midwicket for a duck.
Mohammad Mithun and Ravi Bopara then added 64 runs for the fourth wicket to give the innings some stability but Rubel’s early blows meant they had to progress slowly.
Bopara top-scored for the side with 49 off 43 balls while Mithun chipped in with 38 off 27 balls.
Dhaka also suffered an early blow in their response when Mashrafee bin Murtaza dismissed an in-form Upul Tharanga for four and Nazmul removed Sunil Narine for 14.
But Rony Talukdar (35 off 24 balls) and Sakib al Hasan (23 off 20 balls) brought the innings
back on track before Sakib’s dismissal to Ben Howell gave Rangpur a renewed hope.
A close catch of Pollard off Mashrafee also came in Rangpur’s favour before the run out of Rony brought a kind of balance in the game.
However, Russell was not prepared for any late suspense and bludgeoned Dhaka into the win with his powerful batting that included five sixes.
Dhaka, who lost to Rangpur in the final of last edition, will now face Comilla in the final on Friday.
Source: New Age.
