Elton Chigumbura's Sylhet Royals finally ran out of steam as they lost their first match after five wins, to Dhaka Gladiators by 31 runs. Royals had previously won four matches chasing more than 140 with ease, but fell well below the target this time.
Three Royals batsmen were run out, starting with Dwayne Smith, who slipped in the middle of the pitch in the second over. Mohammad Nabi and Nazmul Hossain Milon also ended up short of the crease, reducing Royals to 47 for 5 in the ninth over. Skipper Mushfiqur Rahim made 41 off 37 balls, but couldn't take the team past the three-figure mark.
Hamilton Masakdza was dropped after a poor run in the last two matches, with his absence the team limped to 127 for 8 in 20 overs. After Smith's run out, Gladiators captain Mashrafe Mortaza took his first wicket of the tournament. Alfonso Thomas and left-arm spinner Saqlain Sajib took two wickets each to stifle the middle-order further.
Gladiators had put together a competitive total, though it was short of the scores put up the previous night in front of a full-house. They had some luck initially when Sohag Gazi dropped a simple chance at mid-on to let off Josh Cobb. But Mohammad Ashraful was the first to go, falling to Sulieman Benn in the fourth over. Shakib Al Hasan and Cobb also fell in the next four overs, before two fifty-plus partnerships rescued the Gladiators.
Stevens cracked two sixes in his unbeaten 35-ball 55, adding 53 for the fourth wicket with Owais Shah and another 52 for the fifth wicket with the aggressive Anamul Haque, who smashed three sixes and a boundary in his 18-ball 32.
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