Shakib's all-round efforts give Dhaka top-two finish
Dhaka Dynamites assured themselves an extra shot at making the BPL final, after their 43-run win over Rangpur Riders gave them a second-place finish
Dhaka Dynamites assured themselves an extra shot at making the BPL final, after their 43-run win over Rangpur Riders gave them a second-place finish
A lackluster penultimate league game of the BPL comes to an end. So table-toppers Comilla take on Dhaka Dynamites in the first Qualifier, and Khulna Titans face Rangpur Riders in the Eliminator, where the loser will bow out. We will be back soon with the final group stage match of this season, between Comilla Victorians and Sylhet Sixers. Be back for that. Nothing more from here. Cheers!
"I thought it wasn't a wicket where you can score 180," says Dhaka captain Shakib Al Hasan. "We needed to bat sensibly. We started well and Mosaddek bowled brilliantly. Luckily for us we had a very good partnership and that gave us the game-changing momentum. Bowling has been brilliant throughout. It's in the batting we've let ourselves down."
"First and foremost, Shakib played really well", says Rangpur captain Brendon McCullum. "There are lot of world-class players. This pitch was pretty poor. Hopefully, that will change as there are people watching all over the world. But take nothing away from Shakib. The pitch was pretty average, but you just got to suck it up. The good thing for us is we're in the semifinals. We got to make sure our strategy and execution is up there. We've got Chris coming back into the side. We need to make sure we get the right combinations."
4.20pm So Dhaka Dynamites' dominant win puts them on second and assures them an additional shot at making the final. Rangpur's bowlers did well but their batsmen have put up a woeful show, not even managing 100 in 20 overs. Shakib once again showed how dynamic he can be, first through a rapid 47 off 33 balls on a slow pitch where the rest struggled to put bat to ball, and then with a match-winning spell of 2 for 13 in four overs.
Brendon McCullum said the two-paced nature of the pitch came in the way of an exciting contest after his team's 43-run defeat to Dhaka Dynamites
Dhaka Dynamites assured themselves an extra shot at making the BPL final, after their 43-run win over Rangpur Riders gave them a second-place finish