DHAKA, Bangladesh, CMC – West Indies opener Lendl Simmons stroked his second half-century of the Bangladesh Premier League but it failed to prevent leaders Chattogram Challengers from suffering their third defeat of the campaign here yesterday.
Choosing to bat first at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, Challengers rattled up 159 for six off their 20 overs with Simmons top-scoring with 54, but Cumilla Warriors got home off the last ball, to win by two wickets in an exciting finish.
Simmons, recalled to the West Indies team last October following several years in the wilderness, faced 34 balls and struck five fours and two sixes as he posted 103 off 69 balls for the first wicket with Junaid Siddique, who struck 45 from 37 balls.
Once Simmons departed in the 12th over, the innings went into decline and it was left to Ziaur Rahman, with an unbeaten 34 off 21 balls, to provide a flourish at the end.
Chadwick Walton, batting at number three, managed just nine.
In reply, in-form Englishman Dawid Malan blasted 74 off 51 balls to lay the platform for the successful run chase.
He counted five fours and four sixes, adding 64 for the fourth wicket with Sabbir Rahman (18) before perishing off the penultimate ball of the contest with three runs required for victory
However, Mujeeb Ur Rahman lashed the final ball for four to complete the result.
In the other game, Andre Russell’s Rajshahi Royals suffered a massive blow to their chances of topping the table when they collapsed to a 47-run defeat to Rangpur Rangers.
Worryingly, pacer Russell completed just three deliveries of the first over of the match before exiting the attack for the remainder of the innings as Rangers piled up 192 for six, with opener Mohammad Naim scoring 55 from 47 balls.
In reply, Russell shone briefly with a four and a pair of sixes in a seven-ball 17 as Royals limped to 135 for eight off their 20 overs.
The defeat left them second on 10 points, two adrift of Challengers.
