Sabbir's record ton in vain

What is it with the Bangladesh Premier League and last-over failures this season? Batsmen seem to be able to overcome the most difficult of phases with no problems but falter during situations that can be best described as routine.

One cannot help but feel for Sabbir Rahman. The 24-year-old played what was arguably the best knock of his life but still ended up on the losing side. His smouldering 122 off 61 balls was not enough for the Rajshahi Kings to get past Barisal Bulls' 192 as the Darren Sammy-led team fell short by four runs in Mirpur yesterday.

But the defeat does not take anything away from Sabbir's knock. The man who hit nine fours and nine sixes and seemed to be seeing the ball like a football yesterday, dismissed the bowlers at will.

His 122 overcame Chris Gayle's 116, scored for Barisal Burners against Dhaka Gladiators in the inaugural edition of the BPL, as the highest individual score in the tournament's history. But more than the records, it was just a joy to watch Sabbir dispatch the bowlers like he did.

The game could have been over a lot earlier had Al-Amin Hossain not dropped Sabbir on 14 at point in the third over. However, it was thanks to that drop that the sparse crowd at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium got to witness one of the best T20 knocks ever played by a Bangladeshi.

It is difficult to pick and highlight a particular phase from Sabbir's innings because he seemed resolute throughout. From the calm-looking helicopter hits off the fast bowlers to the confidence with which he charged the spinners, from the well-timed scoops over the keeper's head to the positive intent he showed while chasing the highest total of the BPL this season, each of those aspects deserves its own detailed description.

It was one of those days when he timed the ball to precision every time he attacked a bowler.

The opposing captain, Mushfiqur Rahim, who himself had scored a brilliant 81 with the bat, did not seem to have any answer. His top spinners, Monir Hossain and Taijul Islam were dispatched for sixes every time Sabbir came down the track, while his faster bowlers were hoicked or muscled over mid-wicket for boundaries. The fact that Sabbir was celebrating after almost every six that he hit showed just how much he enjoyed the innings.

It was a mere double and not a boundary that led him to the three-figure mark in the 15th over, off 53 balls. It was an innings he had enjoyed a lot and lost his bat while celebrating it. Out of respect for the innings, Mushfiqur picked up his bat to gave it to his junior national colleague and patted him on the back.

To Mushfiqur's credit, he managed to keep his calm and once Al-Amin got Sabbir caught at mid-wicket in the 16th over, he inspired his team to pull the game back.

Rajshahi needed just 34 runs in the last four overs with five wickets in hand after Sabbir's departure. It seemed an easy equation but the new batsmen at the crease seemed to take too much pressure and Barisal's death bowlers Rayad Emrit and Thisara Perera capitalised.

Emrit dismissed Sammy in the penultimate over and all of a sudden the pressure was on Rajshahi with nine runs required off the last over and four wickets remaining. Perera bowled six perfectly placed length balls against the nervous Hasans—Abul and Nurul— and Barisal ended up winning by four runs.

Prior to Sabbir's spectacle, Mushfiqur's 52-ball 81 and Shahriar Nafees's 44-ball 63 helped Barisal post 192. Mushfiqur, who seemed in brilliant touch, hit fours sixes and five fours.