CHATTOGRAM, Bangladesh, , CMC – West Indies opener Lendl Simmons pummeled his second Twenty20 hundred but the knock came in a losing cause as Sylhet Sunrisers crashed to a comprehensive nine-wicket defeat to Minister Group Dhaka in the Bangladesh Premier League here yesterday.
The right-hander, who has not featured for West Indies since their failed campaign in last October’s Twenty20 World Cup, carved out a career-best 116 off 65 deliveries as Sunrisers gathered 175 for five after being sent in at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.
But experienced opener Tamim Iqbal stroked an unbeaten 111 off 64 deliveries in a dominant 173-run opening stand with Afghan Mohammad Shahzad who hit 53 from 39 balls, as Minister Group Dhaka overhauled their target with 18 balls to spare.
It was Simmons’s knock, however, which highlighted the first innings of the contest.
The 37-year-old punched 14 fours and five sixes, inspiring a 50-run, first wicket stand with Anamul Haque (18) and then a 63-run, fourth wicket stand after his side lost three wickets for 15 runs off 19 balls.
Simmons reached his half-century off 34 balls in the 11th over with the second of two consecutive fours off West Indies teammate Andre Russell, before raising three figures in the 18th over, again with the second of two successive fours this time off seamer Ebadot Hossain.
He eventually perished at the hands of Russell in the penultimate over, holing out to Tamim at long on.
Any hopes Sunrisers harboured of a win were then dashed as Tamim hammered 17 fours and four sixes and Shazad, seven fours and one six, in a thrilling start to the run chase.
By the time the stand was broken in the 17th over, only four runs were required for victory.
In the other match at the same venue, another West Indies opener Andre Fletcher hit a half-century in a Man-of-the-Match performance as Khulna Tigers chased down 144 to beat Chattogram Challengers by six wickets.
Fletcher counted half-dozen fours and two sixes in a top score of 48 of 47 deliveries, putting on 50 for the second wicket with Rony Talukdar (17) and 46 for the third with captain Mushfiqur Rahim who belted 44 from 30 balls.
