Brilliant Emrit fires Bulls to morale-boosting victory

MIRPUR, Bangladesh, CMC – Trinidad and Tobago’s Rayad Emrit struck a brilliant unbeaten half-century to follow up an incisive spell, as he helped Barisal Bulls to an important morale-boosting two-wicket victory over Dhaka Dynamites in the final game of the Bangladesh Premier League here yesterday.

In pursuit of 137 for victory at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Bulls got home with two balls to spare thanks to Emrit’s splendid 54 not out off 28 deliveries with six fours and two sixes.

All-rounder Rayad Emrit … claimed two wickets and struck 54 not out to steer Bulls to victory.
All-rounder Rayad Emrit … claimed two wickets and struck 54 not out to steer Bulls to victory.

While the game was of academic interest only because both teams had already qualified for the playoffs, the result was important from the perspective of confidence with both teams clashing again tomorrow in the opening game of the next round. Opener Mehedi Maruf struck 37 but Bulls slumped to 59 for six in the 12th over after Nabil Samad hurt the top order with two for 23 and fellow left-arm spinner Mosharraf Hossain sliced through the innings with a spell of three for 29.

Trinidadian Evin Lewis, batting at an unfamiliar number five, scored just nine before holing out to long-off with off-spinner Mosaddek Hossain.

However, Emrit arrived to play a cameo, adding a frenetic 43 in an unbroken ninth wicket stand with Nikhil Dutta, who finished unbeaten on nine.

The right-handed Emrit smashed two fours off Nabil Samad in the 16th over which cost 13 runs and followed up with two sixes in the next from Mosharraf which went for 14.

With 20 runs needed from two overs, Bulls got 10 from the 19th and Emrit then clobbered two fours inside the first four balls of the over to formalise the win.

He had earlier picked up two for 29 with his medium pace to help limit Dynamites to 136 for six, with off-spinner Dutta finishing with three for 18.

Mosaddek Hossain top-scored with 30.

In the preceding game, Jamaica and West Indies limited overs star Andre Russell snatched two crucial wickets as Comilla Victorians earned a 71-run win over Sylhet Super Stars.

Victorians posted 150 for four after being sent in and Victorians were bundled out for 79 in the 14th over, with Russell claiming two for nine from 17 balls.

Victorians clash with Rangpur Riders in the other playoff game tomorrow.