CHITTAGONG, Bangladesh, CMC – Barbados and West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Smith stroked a typically robust half-century to power Khulna Royal Bengals to a narrow four-wicket win over Sylhet Royals in the Bangladesh Premier League on Saturday.
The right-hander hammered 55 from 31 balls as the Bengals, sent in at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, reached 171 for six from their 20 overs. Jamaica and West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell also produced a superb cameo, carving out a breezy unbeaten 35 from 14 balls to lift the innings at the end. Veteran West Indies left-hander Shiv Chanderpaul failed with eight in the opening position as the Bengals slid to 26 for three in the fifth over but Smith and Shakib Al Hasan (14) put on 49 for the fourth wicket to rescue the innings.
Smith belted three fours and four sixes and when he fell at the end of the 13th over, Russell stepped up to hit three fours and two sixes in an unbroken 41-run, seventh wicket partnership off 19 balls with Nazmul Hossain (22 not out). In response, the Royals were restricted to 169 for eight from the complement of overs, with Russell taking two for 36 to claim the Man-of-the-Match honour.
Smith’s two overs cost him 13 runs while Pakistani Kamran Akmal slammed 82 from 41 balls at the top of the order, in a losing effort.
In the feature game of the doubleheader, West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo and his Trinidadian teammate Kevon Cooper tasted defeat as the Chittagong Kings lost by nine runs to Duronto Rajshahi. Medium pacer Cooper was brilliant with two for 17 from his four-over spell to help limit Rajshahi to 126 for six after they won the toss and batted. Bravo finished with one for 36.
West Indies batsman Marlon Samuels got just six as captain Mushfiqur Rahim top scored with an unbeaten 24. Both Bravo (1) and Cooper (0) then failed as the Kings were restricted to 117 for nine in a poor chasing effort. Samuels bowled a tight four-over spell which cost just 22 runs but left-arm spinner was Saqlain Sajib was the main destroyer with three for 22.
