Rangpur bowlers clinch thriller after Gayle's fifty boost
A combined effort from Rangpur Riders' bowling attack ensured a successful defence of 142, in a match that was decided off the last ball
A combined effort from Rangpur Riders' bowling attack ensured a successful defence of 142, in a match that was decided off the last ball
Scorer: Thilak Ram | Commentator: Sreshth Shah
10.09 pm That's all from Dhaka, then. Two T20 classics today that kept us enthralled right till the end. Dhaka still sit at second after this loss, while Rangpur surge towards the top half of the table. Thanks for your company through the evening. On behalf of our team, it's Sreshth Shah saying goodbye!
10.04 pm We're ready with the presentation.
Shakib, the losing captain: "We should've chased that down easily. We didn't bat well yesterday, we didn't bat well today. Bowlers and fielders have been good. Mosaddek is a more-than-capable bowler. He gave us the momentum, and we restricted them to a modest total."
Winning captain Mashrafe: "We need to be fired up. Momentum from yesterday and before that took us through. We felt we needed more than 142, the way Gayle batted, hitting sixes effortlessly. I must say, Perera and Malinga bowled really well and Mithun played well for us too. At the end I told my team, if we don't get wickets we can't win. They delivered."
Gayle is the Man of the Match. He says: "Those were crucial runs, and good to get among the runs. We were always looking to get more than 140, but on these surfaces it's competitive. The new ball was good for batting, but credit goes actually to our bowlers, for defending 142. They have some big names too, and credit to our captain for his leadership."
9.56 pm Only the second time in BPL history that both teams have been all out. Some amazing death-overs bowling from both sides, but Rangpur Riders did just about enough to sneak past the home team. Rubel, Malinga, Mashrafe, Perera and Gazi came to the party just when their team needed it. They strangled Dhaka's batsmen as the game progressed. Maruf's 24-ball 15 must've hurt Dhaka though, who pushed Afridi and Pollard lower down the order to accommodate for the local batsmen in slightly less-pressure situations. No batsmen really got going all through the match, except for Gayle's 28-ball 51 and that really helped Rangpur get to 142. Jahurul and Lewis kept Dhaka in the hunt, but eventually the experienced Rangpur bowlers were just too good. It's been a T20 classic, and we'll be back in a few minutes with the presentation. Guessing both captains will have a lot to talk about.
Abu Hider b Perera 0 (1b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00
It's simple for the last man in: Hider. Hit a four to take Dhaka home. Anything less than that means Rangpur win. Unless, however, if they take three off the final ball. Super over, in that case.
KA Pollard b Perera 12 (14b 0x4 1x6) SR: 85.71
Long chat between Mashrafe and Perera now. This fourth ball will be so crucial. The ball is too wet, and needs a change. Drama everywhere. Mortaza wanted to use the same ball, but the umpires want it changed. Slight delay that adds to the tension
Perera has been entrusted with the last over. Both teams' dugouts are on their feet. T20 cricket at its best, especially since the bowlers have as much to offer as the batsmen, which is sometimes lacking in T20 cricket
A combined effort from Rangpur Riders' bowling attack ensured a successful defence of 142, in a match that was decided off the last ball