Sylhet overcome game of nerves to qualify for BPL final

Sylhet Strikers came to the party in the second qualifier against Rangpur Riders in the Bangladesh Premier League beating them by 19 runs in what transpired to be a game of nerves in the end at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.
 

After losing the first qualifier against Comilla Victorians, Mashrafe Moratza's Sylhet made sure to deliver an all-round performance to cement a spot in the grand finale on Thursday where they will take on defending champions Comilla.

Chasing Sylhet's 182 for seven, Rangpur following a shaky start consolidated to take themselves close to a third victory in the tournament against Sylhet but the bowlers came through at the death for Mashrafe's side and restricted Rangpur to 163 for eight.

After being put into bat first, Sylhet batters made sure to brush aside their lacklustre outlook from the previous match posting a challenging 182 for seven, courtesy of opener Najmul Hossain Shanto, who top-scored with a 30-ball 40 as he hit five fours and a six before being trapped lbw by Sheikh Mahedi.

Skipper Mashrafe yet again promoted himself up the order and maximised the pinch-hitter role as he smashed three fours and a six for his 16-ball 28.

Blistering cameos from George Linde (21 off 10) and Thisara Perera (21 off 15) at the latter stage of the innings propelled Sylhet's score to 182.

In reply, the latest foreign inclusion for Rangpur, Englishman Sam Billings failed to deliver as he was trapped lbw and the top-scorer from the previous match, Shamim Hossain, skied one leaving Rangpur two down for 34 inside the powerplay.

But in-form Rony Talukdar motored the innings on from his end and had help from Nicholas Pooran who scored a 14-ball 30 that featured four sixes and one four. The Caribbean batter failed to clear the ropes falling to Luke Wood.

Rony carried on and put together an 82-run stand with skipper Nurul Hasan Sohan, a partnership that gave Rangpur an opening into the game. Sohan scored a 42-ball 33 before he was caught out at long-on in the 18th over and Rony after scoring a 52-ball 66 was run out by wicket-keeper Zakir Hasan in the same over which put a rope on Rangpur's chances of clinching the game.

Dasun Shanaka found it difficult to connect, courtesy of some adept death bowling by Tanzim Hossain Sakib, and Wood, who held conceded just three runs in the all-important 19th over.
Needing 27 runs in the penultimate over, Rangpur managed just eight as Rubel Hossain nailed his yorkers to take Sylhet into the final.