|| CF Correspondent ||

The wait for a century in the sixth edition of Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) finally came to an end. The man to do it was Rajshahi Kings’ Laurie Evans, a player on whom hardly anyone did bet to do it.

Evans century powered Rajshahi Kings into the top four of the cash-rich tournament, thrashing Comilla Victorians by 38 runs on Monday at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.

The English batsman struck 62 ball-104 not out, smashing nine fours and six sixes to help Rajshahi pile up 176 for three from a position of embarrassment before the bowlers wrapped up Comilla for 138 in 18.2 overs.

Evans’ century was the 13th in the BPL history and he was ably supported by Ryan Ten Doeschate who hammered 59 off 41, laced with three fours and two sixes.

They duo shared 148 runs off 83 balls in an unbroken fourth wicket partnership after Comilla bowlers reduced them to a tittering 28 for three in 6.1 overs. Left-arm spinner Mahedi Hasan removed Evans’ fellow opener Shahriar Nafees for 5 in the second over and then Liam Dawson dealt a double strike, dismissing Rajshahi kipper Mehidy Hasan Miraj for naught and Marshall Ayub for 2.

Thereby they stifled Rajshahi but Evans and Doeschate dealt a spirited Comilla attack serenely to get their feet and eye in first. They bided their time in the crease with luck and pluck before going to an all-out attack.

Both of the man reached their respective landmark in the last over with Doeschate squeezing out the Thisara Perera yorker in front of point for a single to get to his half-century before Evans drilled the low full of the same bowler in the next delivery to long-off for single to bring up his maiden T20 century.

Comilla made a good start in the pursuit of 177 as Tamim, fresh from his 72 in the previous match, gave an early impetus but some controlled bowling from Rajshahi bowlers helped them regroup very well.

Pace bowler Kamrul Islam Rabbi broke through with the wicket of Tamim who made 24 with two fours and as many sixes. Anamul Haque Bijoy (26) and Shamsur Rahman (15) kept the side in the hunt before Doeschate and Arafat Sunny got the better of the duo in consecutive overs.