Rajshahi topple the might of Dhaka

Mehedi Hasan Miraz hit the penultimate ball of the match for a four down to the backward point boundary as Rajshahi Kings pulled off a thrilling three-wicket win over Dhaka Dynamites in the 21st match of Bangladesh Premier League at Chittagong today.

In an eventful last over bowled by English right-arm paceman Matt Coles, Rajshahi, who needed nine runs, looked to be losing a game from the jaws of victory when Abul Hasan was out on the first ball, hitting a length delivery high at mid-on where Dwayne Bravo took a spectacular running catch. With still nine required from five balls Forhad Reza tipped the balance in favour of Rajshahi, smashing the third ball for a four to the mid-wicket boundary after Mehedi took a single off the second ball.

With three required off two deliveries, Mehedi exposed his stumps to create some space and it worked well and he cleanly negotiated that delivery on the off-stump.

But Rajshahi, chasing a commanding Dhaka total of 182, could have won comfortably after opener Mominul Haq’s 42-ball 56 and Samit Patel’s hurricane 75 off only 39 balls that contained six sixes and five fours. When Patel was out Rajshahi were left with a simple task of scoring a run-a-ball with half the wickets still standing.

But Bravo, the most successful Dhaka bowler with 3-35, threw caution to the wind in the 19th over, when he conceded just three runs and removed Rajshahi captain Darren Sammy.    

Earlier, a scintillating knock from Kumar Sangakkara and Seekkuge Prasanna’s cameo late in the innings propelled Dhaka Dynamites to 182 for 4 after 20 overs.

Having won the toss Dhaka, led by Shakib Al Hasan, decided to bat and enjoyed a brisk start courtesy of Mehedi Maruf. The first wicket stand of 74 runs between Mehedi Maruf and Sangakkara in 8.4 overs kept the Rajshahi bowlers at bay and provided the perfect platform to accelerate later. The late boost came from Prasanna’s bat who blasted 34 runs in 16 balls. Sangakkara held the innings together with his 66 runs. He faced 46 balls, struck five fours and three sixes in his innings.

Rajshahi Kings captain Sammy used six bowlers and Farhad Reza with a mixture of cutters and cleverly disguised slower deliveries was most successful with 2-22 in his four overs.

Scores in Brief

Dhaka Dynamites: 182/4 in 20 overs (Maruf 35, Sangakkara 66, Prasanna 34; Reza 2-22)

Rajshahi Kings: 184-7 in 19.5 overs (Mominul 56, Patel 75; Bravo 3-35)

Result: Rajshahi Kings won by 3 wickets.

Player of the match: Samit Patel