DHAKA, Jan 6, 2024 (BSS)- Alex Hales struck an unbeaten 113 as Rangpur Riders
overhauled a 200 plus target with incredible ease to register a crushing
eight-wicket victory against Sylhet Strikers in the first match of the BPL
Sylhet phase today at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.

Sylhet Strikers seemed to be in position of dominance when they compiled a
hefty 205-4 after being asked to bat first with their local players coming
all guns blazing.

But Hales who clobbered 10 fours and seven sixes led the side to an emphatic
victory, helping Rangpur canter to the victory with one overs to spare and
handed Sylhet second straight defeat.

Hales fittingly signed off the game with two consecutive sixes as Rangpur
reached 210-2 to record their fourth straight victory.

The match saw 31 sixes, highest in the BPL history, eclipsing 29 sixes hit by
Chattogram Challengers and Cumilla Victorians in the last season and Fortune
Barishal and Durbar Rajshahi in this season. Sylhet hit 16 sixes while
Rangpur smote 15.

Tanzim Hasan Sakib who took all two wickets that fell, gave the Sylhet an
early breakthrough, handing Azizul Hakim second straight duck in the BPL. It
was overall his third duck in a row, having also been dismissed for naught in
the last match of the NCL T20.

But that mattered little as Saif Hassan added a match-winning 186-run
partnership with Hales for the second wicket. Saif Hassan smashed 49ball-80
with three fours and seven sixes before being dismissed by Tanzim in the 18th
over. In the next over, Hales and Iftikhar Ahmed who made 8 not out, sailed
the side home.

Earlier, riding on half-centuries of Rony Talukdar and Zakir Hasan and some
late onslaught, Sylhet Strikers reached 200 plus total.
 
Rony paved the platform of the big total with 32 ball-54, a knock laced with
seven fours and three sixes while another local recruit Zakir Hasan smashed
four sixes in his 38 ball-50.

While the local duo did the initial job with quickfire knocks, Aaron Jones
and Jaker Ali Anik gave the finishing touch with an even more aggressive
show.

The USA recruit Jones hammered 19 ball-38 [not out] with one four and four
sixes while Jaker was not out on 20 after playing just five balls. He
clobbered three sixes in his marauding knock to propel the side past 205.

Mohammad Saifuddin was the top bowler for Rangpur with 2-31 in four overs.