Rossouw instrumental in Rangpur’s tense victory
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|| CF Correspondent ||
Rilee Rossouw was instrumental in reigning champions Rangpur Riders’ tense eight-run victory over Khulna Titians, smashing a 52 ball-76 not out on Sunday at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
This was Rangpur’s first victory in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) after their three-wicket defeat to Chittagong Vikings in the opening game.
The defeat in their BPL opener was indeed a shocker for Khulna Titans who seemed to have registered a victory without any farce after a 90-run opening stand. But Rangpur hit back in style to snatch the victory from the jaw of the defeat.
Rangpur’s South African recruit Rossouw batted through the innings to help the side post a decent 169 for three after which their bowlers held their never in crucial moment to deliver the victory, restricting Titans to 161 for five.
Despite Chris Gayle joined the side, Rangpur opted to rest him and sent Rossouw opening the innings with Mehedi Maruf, a tactical decision that proved preciously right.
Maruf was dismissed cheaply while English star Alex Hales failed to shine in for the consecutive second match, being out for 15.
And when Carlos Brathwaite ended Mohammad Mithun’s uncomfortable stay at the crease, taking him out for 19, Rangpur were precariously placed at 65 for three in 10th over.
While his colleagues found it tough to bat in the slow pitch, Rossouw stayed clam, knowing that once he would get set, he would find the stroke-making easier. And that was exactly so.
To his delight, he found another serene head in Ravi Bopara who also understood the nature of the wicket in quick time. The duo combined for a 104 off 61 in an unbroken fourth wicket stand to help Rangpur set a total, which wasn’t easier to chase.
Rossouw struck eight fours and two sixes in his match-defining knock while Bopara was unbeaten on 29 ball-40, smacking three fours and one six.
Khulna Titans appeared to have finished the match without any hiccup after openers Paul Stirling and Junaid Siddique shared 90 runs in their opening stand.
When it seemed the match was slipping away, Rangpur hit back in style, firstly through Benny Howell who broke through with the wicket of Junaid for 33. Shafiul then removed Nazmul Hossain Shanto. But it was Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, the MP and the skipper of the Riders who took the all important wicket of Stirling after he hit 61 off 45, smashing eight fours and one six.
Titans at that stage were 108 for three in 13.2 overs and given the batting depth, it wasn’t the match they could loss. However MP Mashrafe-inspired bowlers stalled the progress of Titans, slowing down the scoring rate with some accurate overs in the middle.
Farhad Reza, who was vastly underrated, got the crucial wicket of Mahmudullah Riyad who struck 24 off 17 and then conceded only five runs in the 18th over, leaving Titans a need of 30 runs off 12 balls.
Despite the big-hitter Carlosh Brathwaite’s presence in the crease, Khulna Titans were unable to take big hit towards the end and remained nine runs short of a victory what looked inevitable.
