Shahid Afridi's all-round show powered Dhaka Dynamites to a comfortable eight-wicket win over Sylhet Sixers in Match 10 of the Bangladesh Premier League 2017. The former Pakistan skipper bagged four wickets and a 17-ball 37 as the hosts won with 12.1 overs to spare at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka on Saturday (November 11).
Shakib Al Hasan, the Dynamites' skipper, won the toss and elected to field. They got early momentum, which they didn't let go off till the end.
Put in to bat, Sunil Narine and Abu Hider Rony caused the early havoc. Barring opener Dasun Gunathilaka and skipper Nasir Hossain, none of the batsmen in the top eight managed to reach double-digits. The wrecker-in-chief was Afridi, however, ripped through the middle order after the early damage. Not only were the visitors losing wickets quickly, but they were also finding it tough to get the runs flowing.
By the 13th over, they had lost all but their last wicket. However, it was the last wicket partnership between No. 9 Abu Hasan and No. 11 Taijul Islam which helped them go past the 100-run mark. Together, they combined to put on an unbeaten 48-run stand in the last seven overs to take the Sixers to 101 for 9 in their 20 overs.
While Hasan hit three fours and a six in his 26-ball 30, Taijul hit only a solitary boundary in his 16-ball 20. More importantly, however, he ensured the side used up all their overs to reach a respectable score.
However, as it turned out, after Afridi's early carnage, the score didn't seem all that respectable. Opening the innings, he belted five sixes and a four to make quick work of the chase. He was well-aided by an equally destructive opening partner, in the form of Evin Lewis, who stroked an unbeaten 18-ball 44 - an innings with as many sixes and an additional boundary to go with. The destruction which started from the first over itself, reached its zenith in the fourth when both Afridi and Lewis tonked two sixes each off Taijul.
Tim Bresnan struck twice in the following over, removing Afridi and Cameron Delport off consecutive deliveries, but that proved little to dent the run chase. Lewis continued his work, in company of Shakib Al Hasan, and guided the side to their second win of the tournament.
Lewis finished off the formalities with three hits over the boundary in the eighth over of the innings off Wanidu Hasaranga.
Even as the Dynamites batsmen hammered the opposition into submission, the work was laid out by some superb bowling. Afridi finished with figures of 4 for 12 from his four overs, while Sunil Narine also impressed with returns of 3 for 10 from his quota of four.
Despite the crushing defeat, Sixers remain on top of the points table with three wins from five games.
Brief Scores: Sylhet Sixers 101/9 in 20 overs (Abu Hasan 30, Taijul Islam 16; Shahid Afridi 4-12, Sunil Narine 3-10) lost to Dhaka Dynamites 106/2 in 7.5 overs (Evin Lewis 44*, Shahid Afridi 37; Tim Bresnan 2-20) by 8 wickets.
