Riders continue resurgence

The change of venue from Dhaka to Chittagong did not bring a change in fortune for Sylhet Sixers as they joined Chittagong Vikings on the sidelines of the race to the Bangladesh Premier League playoffs by losing yesterday's match against Rangpur Riders by four wickets at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.

Sylhet have now lost four matches in a row and have seven points from 10 games. Rangpur, meanwhile, after losing three of their first four matches have now notched their fifth victory in nine games. 

The match went down to the wire, but it was Rangpur's talismanic captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza who once again proved to be the difference in his night job as a hard-hitting batsman as he simplified the equation of nine to win off the last over with a six over long on in the first ball, which was a full toss. Off-spinner and handy lower-order batsman Nahidul Islam then hit another Tim Bresnan full toss over mid off for four to take the side home in their chase of 173 with two balls to spare.

The chase was set up by Brendon McCullum's 38-ball 43 and the early impetus provided by Ziaur Rahman after the local hard-hitter was promoted to open the batting with Chris Gayle. Although Gayle departed in the first over, caught at mid off off Sohail Tanvir for five, Ziaur made up for the Jamaican's absence by striking an 18-ball 36 with five boundaries and two sixes.

McCullum, demoted to number three, was uncharacteristically subdued and seemed to be eager to take the team home. However, when he was fourth out with the score on 117 in the 15th over, caught at the boundary off an Abul Hasan slower ball, a Sylhet comeback looked likely. Ravi Bopara played a crucial innings of 33 off 24 balls to take the Riders within touching distance, but Sylhet only have themselves to blame for the loss as they dropped Bopara twice, both times by Shuvagata Hom in the deep, off Tanvir in the 17th over when on 22 and 31.

Earlier, after Mashrafe chose to field, Sylhet's 173 for five was powered by 54 from Babar Azam and 44 from icon player Sabbir Rahman. Babar hit four boundaries and a six in his 37-ball innings and Sabbir played the same amount of deliveries to hit five fours. Their 74-run fourth-wicket stand was the backbone of the Sixers' innings. Left-arm spinner Nazmul Islam was the best bowler for Rangpur with figures of three for 18 off four overs.

SCORES IN BRIEF

SYLHET V RANGPUR

SYLHET SIXERS: 173 for 5 (Babar 54, Sabbir 44, Fletcher 26; Nazmul 3-18)
RANGPUR RIDERS: 177 for 6 (McCullum 43, Ziaur 36, Bopara 33; Hasan 1-25)
Result: Rangpur won by 4 wickets.
Player-of-the-match: Nazmul Islam