CHIGUMBURA SHINES AS SYLHET CRUSH OUT

DHAKA, Former Zimbabwe captain and allrounder Elton Chigumbura’s 42 runs off 25 deliveries went in vain as his Sylhet Royals lost by five wickets to crush out of the Bangladesh Premier League in the semi final played in Dhaka on Monday. The Chittagong Kings who were playing without captain Brendan Taylor stormed into the final were they face the Dhaka Gladiators, whom they have beaten once before in the competition.

Boundaries from two allrounders Ryan ten Doeschate and Ariful Haque at the end of the 15th over with Chittagong still requiring 52 runs off the last 30 balls with five wickets in hand. After taking stock of the situation in a single over, the Netherlands batsman went after the Afghanistan offspinner Mohammad Nabi, taking him for 16 runs in an over with a six and a four. In the following over, Ariful joined in the fun by going after Elton Chigumbura, with 21 coming off the 18th over to ease the equation considerably.

Ariful was later bowled by Nazmul Hossain's slower delivery in the penultimate over before ten Doeschate finished it off with a slashed boundary off Sajidul Islam in the last over. He made an unbeaten 44 off 28 balls with the help of four boundaries and a single six off Nabi.

Chittagong's top-order misery, however, put them in the spot early in the chase. Chittagong hadn't successfully chased more than 136 in the tournament so it was a similar scene when Jason Roy, bowled by Sohag Gazi, and Ravi Bopara were dismissed in the first two overs. Bopara's woeful BPL campaign continued as he was out first ball to the mildly threatening Chigumbura.

Nurul Hasan and Naeem Islam added 56 for the third wicket before the former was brilliantly caught by Suhrawadi Shuvo at deep square-leg off Nabi.

Earlier, Sylhet were struck early by Enamul Haque jnr who kept them down to 51 for 3 in the first ten overs. The left-arm spinner took two for three in his first two overs. He finished with 2 for 24 from four overs, apart from Kevon Cooper's two wickets.

Sylhet were propped up by a 48-run fifth wicket stand between the captain Mushfiqur Rahim and Chigumbura in just 23 balls before a final flurry from the Zimbabwean allrounder, taking 20 off Cooper's last over, helped them to a competitive total.

Chigumbura made an unbeaten 42 off 25 balls with three fours and three sixes - two over midwicket and one over long-on - but it was still not enough to challenge a Chittagong side that managed to jump over the line at the most crucial moment.