Rangpur outclass Sylhet as Mashrafe and Co suffer season's second defeat

Sylhet Strikers were no match for Rangpur Riders as a severe batting collapse led the league leaders to a heavy defeat in a Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) fixture in Sylhet today.   

Rangpur chased past Sylhet's meagre 92 for nine with six wickets and 26 deliveries to spare and now occupy the fourth spot in points table.

Sent in to bat, Sylhet slumped to 18 for seven inside the ninth over on a wicket that was conducive to bowling. It was Sylhet captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, in at number nine, who then combined with Tanzim Hasan Sakib for a 48-run stand and Sylhet had something to bowl at.

Quicks Hasan Mahmud and Azmatullah Omarzai, of Afghanistan, picked three wickets apiece while off-spinner Mahedi Hasan scalped two for Rangpur.

In reply, Rangpur wobbled a bit after scoring 44 as they lost their second and third wicket in successive deliveries. However, opener Rony Talukdar's 41 run off 38 balls and Pakistani Mohammad Nawaz's 13-ball 18 helped ensure a comfortable victory for Rangpur.

For Sylhet, Mashrafe shined with the bowl as with two wickets for 18 runs in three overs.