BPL 3 Match 1 Review: Rangpur Riders v Chittagong Vikings, Riders steal a thrilling win

BPL 3 Match 1 Review: Rangpur Riders v Chittagong Vikings, Riders steal a thrilling win: The first match of the 2015 edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) witnessed the Rangpur Riders pitted against Chittagong Vikings. Tamim Iqbal, the Vikings’ skipper, won the toss and decided to bat first on a batting paradise at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur. Tillakaratne Dilshan, Jeevan Mendis, Elton Chigumbura and the controversial yet talented pacer Mohammad Amir were the overseas stars picked by the Vikings. The Riders led by the world’s top-ranked all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, included Lendl Simmons, Misbah-ul-Haq, Thisara Perera and Darren Sammy as their international players. In a match that went down to the wire, the Rangpur Riders pulled off a miracle and won the match by 2 wickets off the last ball of the innings.

Dilshan and Tamim gave their team a flying start by putting on 52 off just 4.1 over before the Sri Lankan was dismissed for a well made 29 off 16 which included 3 sixes and 2 fours. Tamim continued playing his natural game striking some crisp boundaries. His was the second wicket to fall at the score of 117 in the 13th over. Tamim made an elegant 51 off just 32 balls with the help of 6 fours and 1 six.

Anamul Haque soon got out for 36 off 30 balls followed by Ziaur Rahman and Chigumbura in quick succession. At 134/5 in 15.1 overs, the Vikings were in need of a quick-fire knock and the Sri Lankan Jeevan Mendis did just that. His belligerent 39 off just 18 balls included 3 fours and as many sixes. A brilliant direct hit from Soumya Sarkar brought an end to this fabulous knock from Mendis. Asif Ahmed scored 17* off 15 balls and took the Vikings to 187/7. The medium-pacer Abu Jayed bowled a fine spell of 2/26 while the left-arm spinner Saqlain Sajib contributed with the best spell of the innings. His figures of 3/26 were highly impressive.

Mohammad Amir started the proceedings on a bright note for the Chittagong outfit by bowling a brilliant maiden over to Lendl Simmons. The West Indian looked out of sorts and was the first wicket to fall in the third over with the score on 22. He scored a tame 1 off 9 balls and became Amir’s first wicket. Soumya Sarkar was lucky to survive a drop chance on the first ball he faced in the second over of the innings that was bowled by Taskin Ahmed. He made full use of this life and hammered his way to 20 off just 9 balls which included 3 fours and one six. A fuller ball on the leg stump by Amir stuck his pads and the umpire gave him out LBW; a poor decision considering the leg stump was visible on impact. Wickets of Mohammad Mithun and skipper Shakib Al Hasan put the Riders in a precarious position at 4/23 from 4.3 overs.

The experience of Misbah in the company of the young Al-Amin steadied things for their team and both batted sensibly mixing caution with aggression. They took the score to 87 from 12.3 overs before Al-Amin was dismissed for a well made 38 off 28 balls which included 3 fours and a six. The timing of this wicket proved perfect for the Riders as the big-hitting Perera entered the arena knowing exactly what was needed. From this moment, big hits became a regular feature as Misbah and Perera hammed the bowlers to all parts of the ground.

The Pakistani Test captain reached his half-century with a huge six over covers and followed it with another maximum over cow corner. Perera hit 3 sixes and 4 fours in a superb knock of 43 off just 17 balls before becoming Amir’s 3^rd wicket; a clever change of pace deceived the left-hander who holed out to wide long-on. Misbah made 61 off 39 including 3 fours and 4 big sixes and his knock was ended by a perfect yorker from Amir. The Pakistani thus took 2 wickets in 2 balls and the riders were reduced to 167/7 from 18.3 overs needing a cameo from the big West Indian Darren Sammy.

The entertainer from the Caribbean started with a top-edged four over short third man and brought the equation to 14 off 6 balls. The last over bowled by Shafiul Islam witnessed the kind of drama every fan loves watching. A dot ball first-up was followed by a huge six over cover by Sammy. 2 runs off the next ball which he lofted to sweeper cover where Ratul dropped the catch proved crucial. This was followed by a crisp boundary and Sammy had brought the equation down to 2 off 2.

Sammy made 18 off 7 balls and was run out off the second last delivery trying to go for a second run. 1 of 1 and the left-handed Saqlain Sajib drilled one down the ground past mid-off prompting wild celebrations from himself and his team. Riders won this thriller and Misbah was rightly adjudged the player-of-the-match for his stunning knock.

Brief Scores:

Chittagong Vikings – 187/7 (Tamim Iqbal 51; Saqlain Sajib 3/26)

Rangpur Riders – 188/8 (Misbah-ul-Haq 61; Mohammad Amir 4/30)