Bopara guides Rajshahi to the top

Rajshahi Royals got back to winning ways as they defeated Rangpur Rangers by 30 runs in their Bangabandhu Bangladesh Premier League Twenty20 match at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium Thursday.

Rajshahi posted a challenging total of 179 losing four wickets in their stipulated 20 overs, riding on English all-rounder Ravi Bopara’s attacking innings (50 off 29 deliveries) in the late stage of the innings.

Rangpur elected to field first as Rajshahi openers Liton Das and Afif Hossain put on another promising partnership, accumulating 51 in 4.5 overs.

Liton got out for 15 against left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman in the fifth ball of the fifth over. 

Afif was also dismissed soon after for a quickfire 32 off just 17 deliveries with two fours and three sixes.

Rajshahi’s regular captain Andre Russell is injured and Pakistan’s Shoaib Malik led the side in this match. 

And the experienced campaigner scored 37 batting at No 3.

But it was Bopara who accelerated Rajshahi’s innings in the slog overs, smashing four fours and three sixes in his unbeaten knock.

Rajshahi’s Ravi Bopara watches intently as the ball flies towards the boundary fence Dhaka Tribune/Md ManikMustafizur conceded 22 runs in the last over of the innings as Bopara hit four boundaries.

Mustafizur picked up two wickets but leaked 41 runs in his quota of four overs.

In reply, Rangpur managed 149 for the loss of seven wickets in their allotted 20 overs.

A lot was expected from Australian Shane Watson as he has not crossed the double figure mark in his last three innings. 

But the right-hander failed yet again as he scored only two off nine deliveries before being cleaned up by left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz.

The other opener Mohammad Naim played an impressive innings of 27 from 18 deliveries but was unable to prolong his innings.   

Middle-order batsmen Fazle Mahmud and Tom Abell scored 34 and 29 respectively for Rangpur, but those knocks were not enough in the end as a lack of boundaries in the late stage cost them the match eventually.

Bopara was adjudged man-of-the-match for his brilliant undefeated fifty.

With this win, Rajshahi currently sit at the top of the seven-team points table with 12 points from nine games while Rangpur are second from bottom with six points from nine matches.

29TH Match, RRvRPR

RAJSHAHI ROYALS INNINGS    R    B

Liton c Jahurul b Mustafizur     19    15

Afif st Jahurul b Nabi        32    17

Malik c Nabi b Mustafizur    37    31

Irfan c Taskin b Sunny        20    20

Bopara not out            50    29

Nawaz not out            15    9

Extras (lb 1, nb 1, w 4)        6    

Total (20 Overs)         179/4

Fall Of Wickets

1-51 (Liton), 2-53 (Afif), 3-84 (Sukkur), 4-132 (Malik)

Bowling

Sunny 4-0-45-1, Mustafizur 4-0-41-2, Taskin 4-0-37-0, Nabi 4-0-26-1, Delport 2-0-11-0, Abell 2-0-18-0,

RANGPUR RIDERS INNINGS    R    B

Naim c Bopara b Malik        27    18

Watson b Nawaz        2    9

Delport c Jayed b Malik        14    7

Abell c Bopara b Rabbi        29    24

Fazle c Liton b Nawaz        34    26

Nabi c Malik b Rabbi        5    7

Al-Amin b Irfan            18    17

Jahurul not out            4    7

Taskin not out            4    5

Extras (lb 3, w 9)         12

Total (20 Overs)         149/7

Fall Of Wickets

1-3 (Watson), 2-35 (Delport), 3-47 (Naim), 4-111 (Abell), 5-111 (Fazle), 6-125 (Nabi), 7-142 (Al-Amin)

Bowling

Nawaz 4-0-21-2, Irfan 4-0-23-1, Malik 4-0-27-2, Afif 2-0-16-0, Jayed 2-0-17-0, Bopara 1-0-10-0, Kamrul 3-0-32-2

Rajshahi Royals won by 30 runs

MoM: Ravi Bopara (RR)