DHAKA, Bangladesh, CMC – The West Indies trio of Sunil Narine, Johnson Charles and Andre Russell had little impact with the bat but reigning champions Comilla Victorians still managed to beat Nicholas Pooran’s Rangpur Riders by six wickets and storm into the final of the Bangladesh Premier League yesterday.
Chasing a challenging 186 in the first qualifier at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Victorians reached their target with nine balls to spare with captain Litton Das top-scoring with 83 from 57 balls and Towhid Hridoy chopping in with 64 from 43 deliveries. The pair put on a magnificent 143 for the second wicket after the left-handed Narine perished to the first ball of the run chase, caught at the wicket off left-arm seamer Fazalhaq Farooqi (2-27). Litton Das belted nine fours and four sixes while Towhid struck five fours and four sixes, a stand which put Victorians in sight of victory. Charles, meanwhile, made only 10 at number four while Russell entered with the game already won, finishing unbeaten on two. Sent in earlier, Riders racked up 185 for six off their 20 overs with New Zealander James Neesham top-scoring with an unbeaten 97 from 49 deliveries and captain Nurul Hasan getting 30 from 24 balls.
The left-handed Pooran was dismissed cheaply for a nine-ball 14 after lashing a four and a six.
Russell picked up two for 37 with his fast-medium while off-spinner Narine claimed one for 11 from four outstanding overs.