Rajshahi Kings’ English batsman Laurie Evans plays a shot during their Bangladesh Premier League Twenty20 match against Sylhet Sixers at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury stadium in Chattogram on Wednesday. — New Age photo
Rajshahi Kings’ English recruit Laurie Evans struck a blistering 76 off 36 balls to keep them in the play-off qualification hunt as they beat Sylhet Sixers by five wickets in a high-scoring match at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium on Wednesday.
Evans continued his impressive form to strike 10 fours and two sixes while Rayan ten Doeschate made crucial 42 off just 18 balls to guide Rajshahi to 190-5 in 18 overs, knocking off Sylhet’s 189-5.
Evans and Doeschate put 109-run in the fourth wicket stand in just 45 balls after Johnson Charles made 39 off 26 balls to give them rollicking start in what was essentially a must-win contest.
The defeat eliminated Sylhet from the play-off race and put Rajshahi, who finished their league phase, above Dhaka Dynamites with 12 points, though the latter have two games in hands.
‘I think it was an excellent match and our batters played exceptionally. Laurie and Tendo played well, and it was good for us,’ said Rajshahi skipper Mehedi Hasan after the match.
Sylhet thought they had a challenging score once an in-form Nicholas Pooran struck an unbeaten 75 off 31 balls and Sabbir Rahman made 45 off 39 balls after they opted to bat first.
Afif Hossain (29), Jason Roy (13) and Liton Das (10) all got starts for Sylhet but it was Sabbir and Pooran, who gave their innings a much-needed impetus with their power hitting.
The duo added 53 runs for the fourth wicket in quick succession before pacer Kamrul Islam dismissed Sabbir and Mohammad Nawaz (0) in back-to-back deliveries.
Pooran struck six fours and as many sixes to score his third fifty in the ongoing BPL though it finally went in vain.
The match marked the end of Chattogram phase of BPL, which saw four centuries and two hat-tricks and a number of big-scoring matches.
SCORECARD
Sylhet Sixers innings
Liton lbw b Sunny 10
Afif c Mustafiz b Mehedi 29
J Roy c Charles b Mustafiz 13
Sabbir c ten Doeschate b Rabbi 45
N Pooran not out 76
M Nawaz c Charles b Rabbi 0
Kapali not out 10
Extras (lb 1, w 5) 6
Total (five wickets,20 Overs)189
Did not bat: Taskin, Tanvir, Ebadat, Nabil
Fall of wickets: 1-10 (Liton), 2-42 (J Roy), 3-88 (Afif), 4-141 (Sabbir), 5-141 (M Nawaz)
Bowling
Sunny 4 0 48 1
Mehedi 4 0 32 1
Rabbi 4 0 30 2
Mustafiz 4 0 31 1
Soumya 4 0 47 0
Rajshahi Kings innings
J Charles c Sabbir b Kapali 39 Zakir c Ebadat b Taskin 7
Shahriar c Afif b Kapali 9
L Evans c Afif b Tanvir 76
Ten Doeschate c Pooran b Tanvir42
C Jonker not out 8
Soumya not out 2
Extras (w 7) 7
Total (five wickets, 18 Overs)190
Did not bat: Rabbi, Mustafiz, Sunny, Mehedi
Fall of wickets: 1-14 (Zakir), 2-56 (Shahriar), 3-64 (J Charles), 4-173 (Ten Doeschate), 5-177 (L Evans)
Bowling
Tanvir 3 0 27 2
Taskin 3 0 34 1
Ebadat 3 0 31 0
Nawaz 4 0 43 0
Kapali 4 0 41 2
Nabil 1 0 14 0 Toss: Sylhet Sixers
Result: Rajshahi Kings won by 5 wickets
Man of the match: Laurie Evans (Rajshahi Kings)
Source: New Age.