Rippon’s Bowling Masterclass Powers Rajshahi Warriors Past Noakhali Express

Rajshahi Warriors defeated Noakhali Express in a commanding fashion at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium. They chased down a small target of 125 runs in just 17.5 overs, courtesy of a great partnership by Mushfiqur Rahim and Yasir Ali in the middle. The Warriors also displayed a strong performance in the first innings of the match, as Rippon Mondol remained their star bowler by taking 4 wickets.

Noakhali Express would be feeling disappointed after the match, as their batting collapsed in the middle after getting a decent start. Their lower order didn’t put up any fight, which allowed Warriors to restrict them to a low total in the first innings.  

Batting first, Noakhali Express had a poor start as their opener Habibur Rahman Sohan was dismissed early in the Powerplay. Their other overseas signing, Maaz Sadaqat, batted well in the first six overs, but he too fell for just 25 runs, due to some smart bowling by Hussain Talat.

Sabbir Hossain, who came at number three, also didn’t contribute strongly to the scoreboard. He was dismissed for just 6 runs, making the matter worse for the Noakhali Express team.

After getting early blows, a decent partnership between Mahidul Islam Ankon and Hailder Ali steadied the batting innings of the Noakhali Express team. Both players tried to play sensibly to avoid further wicket losses, however, their scoring rate kept getting lower.

Due to the rising pressure, Ankon then lost his wicket for 22 runs. He didn’t look good against the Rajshahi Warriors bowlers, who showcased good discipline with the ball. Haider Ali, on the other end, tried to rotate the scoreboard smoothly by taking ones and twos.

Haider was looking well set to score a fifty, but Mondol dismissed him smartly by bowling a slower ball. He remained the highest run-getter for the Noakhali Express team in the first innings by scoring 33 off 28 balls. After his dismissal, no other batter showcased any real fight as the Noakhali Express team managed to score just 124 runs at the end of the innings.

Rippon Mondol remained the star bowler for Warriors, as his spell of 4/13 disrupted the entire batting plans of the Noakhali Express team.

Smart Batting Guides Rajshahi Warriors to Victory

When Rajshahi Warriors started their chase, their star opener Sahibzada Farhan once again failed badly. He got out for just 2 runs, courtesy of a ripper from Hasan Mahmud. Luckily, his dismissal did not put too much pressure on the other batters, as Tanzid Hasan and Najmul Hossain Shanto continued to play positively.

Both players knew the target wasn’t big, so taking unnecessary risks was not required. Their partnership brought a sense of calm to the dressing room as the scoreboard steadily inched closer to the target.

Tanzid Hasan then lost his wicket after scoring 29 runs, whereas Najmul Hossain Shanto returned to the pavilion after scoring 24 runs. The veteran wicketkeeper batter, Mushfiqur Rahim, then played sensibly to complete the chase without losing more wickets. His partnership with Yasir Ali allowed Rajshahi Warriors to clinch the victory within 17.5 overs. It was calm and calculated batting from both players who have loads of experience playing in previous BPL editions.