Rangpur finish top after thrashing Comilla

Rangpur Riders handed Comilla Victorians a comprehensive nine-wicket defeat in their final group stage match in Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium Saturday.

It was a horrible batting performance by Comilla as they were all out for just 72 runs in 16.3 overs. 

The Riders had also dismissed the Victorians for only 63 in their first group phase meeting last month.  

Only three batsmen were able to reach double figure for Comilla - Ziaur Rahman (21), Liam Dawson (18) and Shamsur Rahman (12).

Rangpur’s Ravi Bopara bagged three wickets for just seven runs in three overs, and was later adjudged man-of-the-match.

Chasing 73, Rangpur only lost the wicket of opener Mehedi Maruf (five) and reached their target in 9.3 overs.

The other opener, Chris Gayle was the not out batsman, scoring 35, while AB de Villiers, playing his last match in BPL 6, remained unbeaten on 34.

Ziaur’s lucky escape

Comilla were struggling at the beginning as they lost regular wickets and at one stage, found themselves tottering on 23 for the loss of five wickets in 5.3 overs. 

All-rounders Ziaur and Dawson then added 33 for the sixth wicket, providing some hope of a recovery for the stuttering Victorians. 

Ziaur got a lucky escape in the second ball of the 11th over. 

The right-hander charged down the ground against medium pacer Farhad Reza and got a top edge. 

The ball went up slightly into the air and bounced in front of the stumps, before hitting the timber. 

The bails’ lights lit up for a moment, but surprisingly, the bails didn’t get dislocated from the stumps.

And Ziaur survived. 

The next two balls went for a four and a six. 

Ziaur’s lucky escape did not last too long though as he got out in the next over and Comilla were eventually bowled out for 72.

AB signs off from BPL 6 with six

Rangpur’s master blaster De Villiers played his last match in BPL 6, and scored a fluent 34 off just 22 balls, studded with four fours and two sixes. 

The right-hander had a brilliant stint for the Riders as Rangpur won six matches in a row in which De Villiers played. 

De Villiers finished his campaign scoring the winning runs against Comilla, and it was a six. 

The South African, nicknamed Mr 360, concluded the tournament scoring 247 runs in six innings at an average of 61.75 and strike rate of 168.02.  

He also scored an unbeaten century against Dhaka Dynamites while chasing in the Chittagong phase of the BPL. 

Impressive performance in BPL 6 indeed by one of the best batsmen around. 

Adios AB, from BPL 6.

BPL standing

Rangpur finished the group stage at the summit of the points table, while Comilla ended second.

Both have 16 points from 12 matches but Rangpur have a better run rate. 

This means these two sides will play the Qualifier 1 Monday evening at the same venue. 

The winner will advance to the final, while the loser will contest Qualifier 2 against the winner of the Eliminator.

41ST MATCH, CVvRR

COMILLA VICTORIANS INNINGS    R    B

Tamim c De Villiers b Nahidul        0    2

Anamul c Mithun b Nahidul         5    9

Shamsur c Mithun b Shahidul        12    11

Imrul c Shahidul b Mashrafe         0    1

Dawson c Mehedi b Bopara        18    24

Perera c Villiers b Mashrafe         3    6

Ziaur c Rossouw b Bopara        21    25

Haider b Bopara            0    1

Wahab run out (Rossouw)        0    0

Sanjit lbw b Minhajul             2    13

Salamkheil not out            6    7

Extras (lb 1, w 4)             5

Total (16.3 Overs)             72

Fall Of Wickets

1-0 (Tamim), 2-16 (Anamul), 3-18 (Imrul), 4-19 (Shamsur), 5-23 (Perera), 6-56 (Ziaur), 7-56 (Haider), 8-64 (Wahab), 9-64 (Dawson), 10-72 (Sanjit)

Bowling

Nahidul 2-1-9-2, Mashrafe 4-0-18-2, Shahidul 3-0-12-1, Minhajul 2.3-0-8-1, Bopara-3-0-7-3, Farhad 2-0-17-0

RANGPUR RIDERS INNINGS        R    B

Gayle not out                35    30

Mehedi b Sanjit             5    5

De Villiers not out            34    22

Extras (w 2)                 2

Total (9.3 Overs)             76/1

Fall Of Wickets

1-9 (Mehedi)    

Bowling

Haider 2-0-11-0, Sanjit 3.3-0-32-1, Waqar 4-1-33-0    

Rangpur Riders won by nine wickets

MoM: Ravi Bopara (RR)