Chattogram Challengers secured a convincing eight-wicket win over Sylhet Strikers in the 13th match of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Monday.
Chasing a below-par 138, Chattogram’s openers started cautiously. Sri Lankan recruit Avishka Fernando, who scored an unbeaten 91 in the previous match, was first to be dismissed for 17 off 12 balls in the fourth over. That gave Sylhet some hope going forward.
But Tanzid and Bruce didn’t allow Sylhet to fight back in the match and kind of sealed the win for Chattogram with their fifties. They didn’t take many risks and kept the scoreboard running. Chattogram reached 50-run mark in 6.1 overs and raced to 100 runs in 12.5 overs.
Tanzid reached his fifty in 39 balls and got dismissed in the very next ball. The southpaw hit three boundaries and two maximums in his innings.
Tom Bruce remained unbeaten on 51 from 44 balls hitting three boundaries and two maximums to take Chattogram over the line keeping 2.2 overs in hand. He was accompanied by ShahadatHossain who struck an unbeaten 13 off 11 balls.
Mashrafe used seven bowlers but it didn’t work for him. Harry Tector and TanzidHasanSakib picked up a wicket each while the five other bowlers, including Mashrafe himself, remained wicketless. Mashrafe in particular, conceded 14 runs in his lone over.
Earlier in the day, Sylhet won the toss and decided to bat first. Their openers went back to the pavilion early and kind of set the gloomy tone early in the match. NajmulHossainShanto failed yet again in the campaign scoring 5 off 7 balls. Bilal Khan struck twice in the second over to push Strikers on the backfoot.
ZakirHasan and Harry Tector built a 57-run partnership but they could never accelerate from there. The run rate was always around 6 per over and never really got the big push.
Zakir departed for 34 from 29 deliveries hitting four boundaries and a maximum. Tector kept on going for a while but he too departed in the 17th over scoring 45 off 42 balls.
Ryan Burl and ArifulHaque then hit a few boundaries in the final overs to take Sylhet to a total of 137/4. Burl remained unbeaten on 34 while Ariful bagged 17 off 12 deliveries.
Bilal Khan was the star bowler for Chattogram picking up three wickets for 24 runs and Nihaduzzaman picked up the other wicket.
The win takes Chattogram to the top of the table for a while. Sylhet remain winless and at the bottom desperately searching for a win.
