Al Islam hat-trick from nowhere to keep Dhaka’s winning-spree
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|| CF Correspondent ||
Dhaka Dynamites unleashed a surprise package in Al Islam Aliss who claimed four for 26 with a hat-trick in his first appearance in senior level cricket to script the side’s third straight victory in Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) with a narrow two-run victory over Rangpur Riders on Friday at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
Dubbed as the clash of giants, Al Islam, a completely unknown bowler in the country’s cricket arena, indeed helped star-studded Dhaka Dynamites snatch a victory from the jaw of the defeat against Rangpur Riders who was outright favourite to win the game.
The off-break bowler’s hat-trick came at a moment when the match was preciously titled to Riders who needed just 26 runs off 18 balls with six wickets at hands.
Al Islam then in 18th over of the game came up with fire two snare the set batsman Mohammad Mithun (49), Mashrafe Bin Mortaza and Farhad Reza and conceded just three runs in that over, leaving Rangpur a requirement of 23 in last two overs.
With a brilliant hat-trick -- only the second hat-trick in the BPL and the first by a debutant in the tournament, Al Islam who dropped Mithun twice in the same over , cracked open the game.
Inspired by Al Islam’s hat-trick in the crunch moment, Sunil Narine took two wickets in the penultimate over to further derail Riders. Rangpur made nine runs in Narin’s over, which meant they needed 14 in the last over with just one wicket in last over.
Al Islam delivered the last over but it was not as good as his first three overs but he still held the nerve to help Dhaka win the game by two runs as Rangpur were restricted to 181 for nine in reply of Dhaka’s 183 for nine.
In doing so, Al Islam became the most searched bowler once Dhaka completed the victory after a nail-biting finish. He later disclosed that he was the highest wicket-taker in the last first division cricket league for Old DOHS with 27 wickets in nine matches.
“Watching me in the net, Khaled Mahmudu Sujon (the Dhaka Dynamites Coach) picked me and disclosed in just last night that I am going to play this match. I am really excited to win it for Dhaka on my first appearance in senior level cricket,” said Al Islam.
Dhaka captain Shakib Al Hasan said they have faith on Al Islam as they believed that he could deliver for them in the crucial moment.
“We knew he (Al Islam) had the potential. Luckily he showed his class. Long way to go for him, but he did very well today,” Shakib said.
Not only hat-trick, Al Islam took the most crucial wicket of Rilee Rossouw who appeared set to take the match away from Dhaka.
As Rangpur was in precarious position being reduced to 25 for two, including the wicket of Chris Gayle, Rossouw, aided by Mithun shared 121 runs for the third wicket stand and made Rangpur heavily favourite to win the game.
After Rossouw hammered 44 ball-83, smashing eight fours and four sixes, Al Islam outfoxed him with a delivery that spun sharply. Rossouw missed the line to be stumped, sparking Rangpur’s collapse.
Shakib Al Hasan got the better of Ravi Bopara before Al Islam’s hat-trick dashed Rangpur’s hope of win the match.
Being sent to bat first, Rangpur were left in hopeless situation by being left to 33 for three as there was no Hazratullah Zazair storm like the first two matches. Shakib Al Hasan and Mizanur Rahman briefly resisted but Rangpur further dented Dhaka by taking out the latter for 15.
However then in came Keiron Pollard who got his Midas touch on the day when it mattered most for Dhaka. Along with Shakib, Pollard took Rangpur bowlers in sheer disdain to share 78 off just 41 balls to script third consecutive 180 plus score.
Before being dismissed to Benny Howell, Pollard struck 26 ball-62, clobbering five fours and four sixes. When Pollard surgically cut through Rangpur’s bowling line up, Shakib was restrained in his approach and scored 36 off 37.
Andre Russell then gave the finished touch, smashing a 13 ball-23 with three huge sixes. Shafiul Islam claimed three for 35 while Howell and Sohag Gazi snapped up two wickets apiece. However all that mattered little when a day when Al Islam decided to make the match of his own and thereby scripting Dhaka’s third straight victory in BPL.
