ExxonMobil Guyana GSL: Rangpur Riders triumph in last over thriller

The ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League (GSL) T20 produced another thriller on Sunday morning at the Guyana National Stadium in Providence, East Bank Demerara (EBD), as the defending champions, Bangladesh’s Rangpur Riders, battled against the Hobart Hurricanes.
In somewhat cloudy conditions, the Hurricanes once again won the toss and chose to field first. The Riders started out steadily, but left-arm spinner Fabian Allen broke the opening partnership and bowled Soumya Sarkar for just five, continuing his recent fine form with the ball. At number three out walked Barbadian power hitter Kyle Mayers, as he and Ibrahim Zadran started to find the boundaries at regular intervals. At the end of the powerplay, the score was 45 for 1.
When Usama Mir entered the attack, he quickly succeeded in eliminating the deadly Zadran, who had fallen just beyond the powerplay. Allen made a superb sprinting catch just outside the 30-yard circle, as the Afghanistan batsman tried to go over the top by slicing the delivery up in the air. At a strike rate of 138.70, Zadran scored 43 off 31 balls.
At the 10-over mark, with Mayers and Yasir Ali at the crease, the Rangpur Riders were 69 for 2, going at a run rate of 6.9 runs per over. Shortly after, Mir struck again as he dismissed Yasir Ali for just 9. He was caught by Odean Smith at long off.
Mir continued to pick up wickets as Captain Nural Hasan was his next victim. Husan tried to slog sweep a delivery but ended up hitting it straight into the safe hands of Mohammed Nabi, who was standing at log on.
Smith made another catch and Allen claimed his second of the day, as Azmatullah Omarzai was dismissed on a score of 16 while attempting to clear long off with just three overs left. At that point in the game, the Rangpur Riders were 118 for 4.
Mayers went into overdrive at the back end of the innings, constantly finding the boundaries and hitting some towering sixes.

Smith trapped Iftikhar Ahmed lbw for just 6 in the final over as the score was 144 for 6. At a strike rate of 159.52, Mayers played an excellent innings to get his team up to a competitive total of 151 for 6 in their 20 overs. He made 67 from 42 balls, and his innings included eight fours and two sixes.
Mayers’ impact continued with ball in hand as he struck early, dismissing Bhanuka Rajapaksa for just 1. Hobart Hurricanes’ heroes from their last encounter, however, had other ideas, as they were ultra- aggressive in the powerplay. Ben McDermott and Macalister Wright had a 49-run partnership before fast bowler Khaled Ahmed got the big wicket of McDermott, who was caught at deep midwicket on 34. The Hurricanes were 54 for 2 after six overs.
Wright fell for 14 shortly after trying to reverse sweep Ahmed and was trapped lbw. Ahmed, not long after, picked up the wicket of Jake Doran to leave the Hurricanes team in a bit of trouble.
Another spinner got a wicket as Nikhil Chaudhary was caught and bowled by Rakibul Hasan.

At number seven, the formidable Odean Smith entered the game and turned the tide back in the Hurricanes’ favour. The Hurricanes required 26 from 18 balls after his wicket, with Mohammed Nabi and Fabian Allen left at the crease. His brief cameo of 20 from 13 balls proved crucial.
The Riders persisted in their efforts as Rafael MacMillan was clean bowled the following ball after Ahmed removed the dangerous Allen for just three runs in the 19th over. Allen was caught in the deep, trying to play a big shot. Ahmed finished his overs with figures of 4 for 26.
With his countryman on strike, Omarzai was given the responsibility of bowling the final over with 13 needed from 6 balls. Following a wide, Nabi hit the next ball over deep midwicket for a six. The following ball, Nabi hit two runs off of a full delivery bowled by Omarzai. When Nabi was denied a single the following ball and was caught at deep long off, the tides would turn once more. On the subsequent delivery, Billy Stanlake took a single. The Hurricanes needed three runs off the final delivery, as Mir was on strike. The Hurricanes lost heartbreakingly by one run after Mir hit the ball straight to long-off and Stanlake was run out while trying to run two.
The tournament’s defending champions will take to the field again on Wednesday at 10:00h, batting Dubai Capitals from 10:00h. for the Hobart Hurricanes, their next outing in the GSL will come on Tuesday when they take on Central Stags at 19:00h. (Gerald Montfort)