Dhaka Dynamites 147 for 5 (Russell 40*, Rony 35, Mashrafe 2-32) beat Rangpur Riders 142 (Bopara 49, Mithun 38, Rubel 4-23) by five wickets
How the game played out
Dhaka Dynamites will meet Comilla Victorians in the BPL final after a five-wicket win over Rangpur Riders in the second qualifier. Rubel Hossain's four-wicket haul set the Riders, the defending champions, back, helping bowl them out for 142, and the Dynamites eventually reached their target in 16.4 overs.
They were in some trouble on 97 for 5 in the 11th over but Andre Russell, who made an unbeaten 40 off 19 balls with five sixes, and Nurul Hasan held it together for the rest of the chase. Russell sealed victory in style, with three consecutive sixes off Nazmul Islam.
The Riders had lost their way very early after being sent in. Nadif Chowdhury, Chris Gayle and Rilee Rossouw fell off successive balls in the Powerplay to slip to 42 for 3. A 64-run fourth-wicket stand between Mohammad Mithun and Ravi Bopara, who top-scored with 49, got them to three figures, before they imploded in the last five overs too. Rubel took four wickets while Russell and Qazi Onik picked up two each.
Turning points
Rubel removed Gayle, who had already struck two sixes, and Rossouw off consecutive balls in the Riders' fifth over.
The Riders scored only 33 in their last five overs, with the Dynamites picking up five wickets in this period.
Star of the day
Rubel suckered Gayle into edging a wide delivery before removing Rossouw, who top-edged a short ball. Bopara went after him in the 20th over, hitting him for 6, 4, 4 off the first three balls, before falling off the next ball, miscuing a short ball to deep square leg. Rubel now has 21 wickets in the tournament, and has the chance of finishing it as its leading wicket-taker.
The big miss
The Dynamites had only just lost Kieron Pollard when Rony responded to Nurul's call for a single and was stranded halfway down the pitch. It left the Dynamites in a shaky position at 97 for 5, with 46 still required off 54 balls.
Where the teams stand
Riders, the defending champions, exit despite getting two opportunities to get into the final. It will be the third final for the Dhaka Dynamites franchise.
