Evin Lewis exploded to score 75 runs off 31 balls as holders Dhaka Dynamites romped to a seven-wicket win over Chittagong Vikings to return to the summit in the Bangladesh Premier League points-table on Monday.
Lewis made a mockery of Chittagong bowling to hit as many as nine sixes – the highest by a batsman in BPL history other than Chris Gayle – as Dhaka knocked off hosts’ 187-5 to race to 191-3 at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium with seven balls and as many wickets to spare.
The win, who came after two back-to-back losses lifted Dhaka’s tally to 11 points from nine matches, taking them ahead of Khulna Titans by virtue of better run-rate, though Khulna had the chance to overtake Dhaka later in the day by beating Rajshahi Kings.
Chittagong, who remained stuck on five points, now must win their remaining three matches and hope the results of other matches to go to their favour if they are to qualify for the play-offs, a prospect which looked highly unlikely after this match.
Consistently inconsistent Anamul Haque struck 73 off 47 balls with three fours and six sixes while Luke Ronchi put 59 off 40 balls as Chittagong got yet another challenging score only for them being unable to defend to it again.
Anamul and Ronchi were particularly harsh on Sakib al Hasan, who conceded 51 runs in his four overs, the worst bowling figure for the left-arm spinner in BPL history.
Sakib also did not concede more than 50 runs in a Twenty20 match in his international and Indian Premier League career.
But Sakib had the last laugh in the game as he pulled Taskin Ahmed away towards the fine-leg fence to complete the highest ever run chase in this year’s BPL.
Dhaka did not expect the win to come so easily when they lost Shahid Afridi only in the third ball of the innings with Ronchi taking a stunning catch at mid-off off Taskin.
Lewis and Joe Denly shared 118 runs off 65 deliveries for the second wicket to bat Chittagong out of the game.
Lewis struck spinner Sanjamul Islam for 26 runs in the ninth over to complete his third fifty in the tournament before Rayad Emrit ended his onslaught. Denly followed him in the next over after making 44 off 39 balls but Sakib (22 not out) and Cameron Delport ( 43 not out) did not allow further climax in the game.
‘We knew that 180 could probably be a good score but also knew that the wicket was good. We needed a good start from our openers. Afridi, unfortunately, did not score today. But Evin and Joe build a good partnership, 100 plus run in there,’ Delport later said.
‘So, that set a good foundation during our chase. It became easier for me and Sakib at the end as we were just playing our natural game,’ he added.
Brief Scores
Chittagong Vikings 187-5 in 20 overs (Anamul 73, Ronchi 59, Raza 26 not out; Narine 1-11) v Dhaka Dynamites 191-3 in 18.5 overs (Lewis 75, Denly 44, Delport 43 not out, Sakib 22 not out; Tanvir 1-18)
Result: Dhaka Dynamites won by 7 wickets
Man of the match: Evin Lewis (Dhaka Dynamites)
Source: New Age.
