SYLHET, Bangladesh, CMC – For the second straight day, Sherfane Rutherford found his best not good enough as his maiden Bangladesh Premier League fifty failed to save Sylhet Thunder from their second defeat in as many days here yesterday.
Asked to chase a massive 200 at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium after Rangpur Rangers posted 199 for five from their 20 overs, Thunder declined to 161 all out in the final over, with the 21-year-old Rutherford blasting 60 from 37 balls.
The left-hander, who has played three Twenty20 Internationals for West Indies, punched five fours and three sixes – posting 38 for the third wicket with Mohammad Mithun (30) and a further 39 for the fourth with Shafiqullah (10).
Rutherford was eventually seventh out in the 17th over, perishing via the run out route, with Thunder still requiring 55 from 20 deliveries.
Only Thursday, Rutherford grabbed a career-best three-wicket haul with his right-arm medium pace but Thunder lost to Cumilla Warriors in a dramatic super-over.
Riders skipper Australian Shane Watson had earlier top-scored with 68 from 36 balls to lay the platform for a challenging total.
He belted half-dozen fours and five sixes, putting on 77 off 51 balls for the first wicket with Mohammad Naim (42) and 61 for the second wicket with Cameron Delport (25).
Both Watson and Deport fell in successive deliveries in the 15th over from new-ball pacer Ebadat Hossain (2-30) with the score on 138 but Mohammad Nabi lashed two sixes in 23 to sustain the momentum in the late stages of the innings.
Rutherford claimed one from 28 from his four overs while former West Indies left-arm seamer Krishmar Santokie proved expensive, leaking 56 runs from his four overs and picking up just one wicket.
Thunder lie bottom of the seven-team standings with a single win in 10 matches while Rangers are one from bottom with four wins from 10 outings.
