Mahedi half-century powers Rangpur to fifth victory in BPL
SYLHET, Jan 30, 2023 (BSS)- Mahedi Hasan hammered a 43 ball-72 as Rangpur Riders kept them well in the race of confirming last four spot with a five-wicket win over Dhaka Dominators at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium today.
After being asked to bat first, Dhaka were restricted to 144-5, more than 50 percent of the total came from the willow of Usman Ghani who was not out on 73 off 55, after hitting seven fours and three sixes.
Ghani’s valiant effort was trumped by Mahedi whose first fifty plus score in the tournament helped Rangpur get over the line with an over to spare. Mahedi’s 43 ball-72 knock was studded by six fours and five sixes.
Rony Talukdar made 29 off 28 and added 63-run with Mahedi for the second wicket stand after losing his fellow opener Naim Sheikh for duck.
Inform Shoaib Malik (6) and captain Nurul Hasan Sohan (6) also fell to single digit figure after Amir Hamza removed Rony to give the side a breakthrough.
Pacer Al-Amin Hossain reduced Rangpur to 123-5, getting rid of Mahedi and gave the side a glimmer of hope. But Mohammad Nawaz (17) and Azmatullah Omarzai (12) played two quick knocks to steer the side home with the former sealing the deal with a towering six against Salman Irshad who took highest 2-36 for Dhaka.
Azmatullah Omarzai snared 2-27 while Mahedi and Rakibul Hasan claimed one wicket apiece for Rangpur and helped the side restrict Dhaka with a limited total on the board.
Omarzai took both of the openers Mizanur (5) and Soumya Sarkar (11) before Usman Ghani came up with resistance.
But Mahedi and Rakibul ripped through middle order, dismissing Alex Blake and (4) and Mohammad Mithin (14).
Skipper Nasir thereafter accompanied Ghani in 55-run partnership for the fourth wicket stand, which took them close to 150 runs mark. Nasir made 29 off 22 before being trapped run out.
It was Dhaka’s seventh defeat in ninth game but then they moved one spot up to be in sixth position from the bottom of the table. Based on run rate, Chattogram now grabbed the bottom table.
Rangpur however were in fourth spot with 10 points and based on run rate Comilla in third spot with same points. Sylhet Strikers were in top spot with 14 points while Fortune Barishal followed them with 12 points. Khulna Tigers, Dhaka and Chattogram all had four points with the former playing seven matches while the two other had already played nine games.
Considering the scenario of the point table, it looked almost confirm that Sylhet, Barishal, Comilla and Rangpur would make the last four line up.
