West Indies recruit Kyle Mayers came up with a stellar allround performance in his first match in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) as Fortune Barishal bolstered playoffs hopes, cruising Sylhet Strikers past by 18 runs at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram Saturday.
Mayers contributed 31 ball-48 with three fours and as many sixes in batting before claiming 3-12 in bowling to script Barishal’s sixth victory in 10 matches, which propelled them to third spot in the point table behind Rangpur Riders and Comilla Victorians.
Sylhet with six points are still in the race mathematically but their chances looked almost over.
After deciding to bat first, Barishal put up 183-6 with Mushfiqur Rahim playing team-high 52, apart from Mayers’ 48.
Mayers however sliced middle order, which was key in reducing Sylhet to 40-6 in 9.4 overs. Benny Howell and Ariful Haque then hit fluent fifties and shared a 108-run, the highest for seventh wicket in BPL history, but that still proved to be insufficient.
Howell’s 32 ball-53 was laced with five fours and two sixes while Ariful smote five fours and four sixes in his 57 off 31.
Mayers dealt a double strike in the first over of the innings, as he removed Harry Tector and Najmul Hossain Shanto, both for duck, much to the despair of Sylhet, who needed to win this match badly to keep them in the race.
Mayers then also took the wicket of skipper Mithun for 10 while spinners Kashav Maharaj and Mehidy Hasan Miraz further caused the damage with the wicket of Angelo Perera and Ryan Burul.
Howell and Ariful raised the prospect of unlikely victory before Barishal bowler held the nerve to seal the deal.
Barishal were slumped to 65-3, losing skipper Tamim Iqbal (19), Ahmed Shehzad (17) and Soumya Sarkar (8) inside the ninth over.
Mayers and Mushfiqur Rahim thereafter put on 84-run for the fourth wicket to lay a solid platform. Mushfiqur hit three fours and four sixes and provided the late impetus with Miraz (15) after Mayers was dismissed.
Tanzim Hasan Sakib claimed 3-48 for Sylhet.