… Barisal Burners oppose Dhaka Gladiators for T20 title
DHAKA, Bangladesh (CMC) – West Indies star batsman Marlon Samuels failed to score for the second straight game while Dwayne Smith turned from hero to villain in the semi-finals of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) yesterday. For the second straight day, the Jamaican right-hander failed to get off the mark and this time it cost Duronto Rajshahi who went down to Barisal Burners by eight wickets in the first semi-final at the Shere Bangla National Stadium.
In the second game, Smith managed just one on the heels of his superb, unbeaten 103 on Monday, as his Khulna Royal Bengals lost an exciting night cap game to Dhaka Gladiators by nine runs at the same venue.
The results mean that no West Indies player will be involved in today’s final.
In the first game, Zimbabwean Sean Ervine slammed 82 from 61 balls while captain Mushfiqur Rahim got 58 to pilot Rajshahi to 184 for six off their 20 overs.
In reply, the Burners stormed home in just 16 overs behind Ahmed Shehzad’s unbeaten 113.
Chasing 192 in the second semi-final, the Bengals got a brilliant unbeaten 86 off 41 balls from captain Shakib Al Hasan but just failed to get over the line.
Experienced West Indies left-hander Shiv Chanderpaul stroked 25 from 22 balls at the top of the order but fell to the first ball of the eighth over, with Smith following two balls later.