All-round Mehedi powers Kings

A brilliant all-round performance from the young Mehedi Hasan Miraz, a superb innings under pressure from Forhad Reza, combined with some tight bowling from the Rajshahi Kings helped them snatch a 49-run win over the Rangpur Riders in Mirpur yesterday evening.

The win has made the Bangladesh Premier League table a lot more interesting as there are now three teams, including Rajshahi, who have 10 points while Dhaka Dynamites and Khulna Titans occupy the top two spots with 12 each.

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Batting first, the Rajshahi Kings revived from 43 for seven to post 128 and that was primarily because of a brilliant 85-run stand for the eighth wicket between Mehedi and Forhad.

With Rangpur's spinners going great guns it seemed as though the game was going to be over early. Arafat Sunny scalped three, Shahid Afridi took two while Liam Dawson and Rubel Hosain took one each, to send back Rajshahi's top seven batsmen in just 9.2 overs.

Prior to yesterday's match Miraz's highest score in the Bangladesh Premier League was six, while Forhad's was nine.

While Miraz scored a 33-ball 41, Forhad posted a 32-ball 44. It was a well-built partnership. For four overs after the two got together, not a single boundary was scored. They were merely milking the singles and trying to get set. After over number 16, they were poised at 78 for seven. With just four more overs to go, that is when both of them decided to unleash themselves.

Forhad began the scoring by hitting Rubel Hossain straight back past his head for a six. It was arguably one of the best shots of the tournament so far and it was not a surprise that Forhad held his pose for quite some time after playing that stroke.

Miraz joined in the fun in the last two overs. He hit Arafat Sunny straight down the ground for a four in the 19th over. The youngster then upped his tempo in the last over and scooped Rubel Hossain for a four in the first ball. He then went down the track and elegantly stroked a length ball for a six down the ground. In the last four overs the duo managed to post 50 runs.

After the exchange, Mehedi bowled a brilliant turner to get Soumya Sarkar stumped in the third over, while Mohammad Shahzad was caught off Mohammad Sami in the fourth. Mehedi returned again to take a brilliant diving catch towards his right off his own bowling to dismiss Nasir Jamshed in the fifth over.

Things got worse for the Riders when Dawson was adjudged LBW off Nazmul Islam in the next over. Replays though showed a clear inside edge. The Riders were struggling at 29 for four after the first Powerplay.

Before the 10th over the Riders lost their two main batsmen, Shahid Afridi and Mohammad MIthun, and the game was pretty much done and dusted at that point.

While Arafat Sunny tried to revive things with a few hits at the end, the Riders were eventually bundled out for 79.

With figures of thee for eight in four overs, Nazmul Islam was Rajshahi's key bowler. He also had a hand in the winning moment as he caught Muktar Ali's slog to the deep off Abul Hasan in the 18th over.