Caribbean quartet flatter to deceive in close-out match

DHAKA, Bangladesh, CMC – The Caribbean quartet of Jason Holder, Oshane Thomas, Jon-Russ Jaggesar, and Kennar Lewis failed to a significant impact on the Bangladesh Premier League yesterday when Sylhet Strikers beat Khulna Tigers by six wickets in the final league match.

Jamaican Lewis, opening the batting, made only five, but Strikers, led by 46 from national batsman Yasir Ali, successfully chased 129 to win the Twenty20 match played at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in the Bangladesh capital.

Ali put on 70 for the third wicket with fellow national batsman Najmul Hossain Shanto to revive the run chase after Zakir Hasan was bowled by Nahidul Islam for a duck in the first over, and Lewis fell to South African left-arm pacer Wayne Parnell in the second over.

Strikers were six for two and ended the Power Play on 40 for two in the middle of the rebuilding effort from Yasir and

Najumul.

They were 76 for three in the 12th over when Najumul was bowled by Arif Ahmed for 39, and Holder added the scalp of Yasir in the 17th over when 18 were required, but it was an intervention that came too late for the Tigers.

Holder ended with one for 19 from three overs, Jaggesar finished with none for 18 from two overs, and Thomas was also wicket-less in two overs that cost 22.

Earlier, Afif Hossain defied a destructive spell from Englishman Benny Howell to top all scorers in the match with 52 off 35 balls and lead the Tigers to 128 for eight. Holder made six, Jaggesar was not out on one, and Thomas did not bat.

Howell bagged three for 15 from four overs and was not out on 12 to help take the Tigers across the finish line to earn the Player-of-the-Match award.

With five wins each from their quota of 12 matches, both teams fell short of qualifying for the playoffs of the tournament, which ends next Friday.