Mayers helps Barishal to BPL title

DHAKA – Barbados and West Indies all-rounder Kyle Mayers played a starring role as Fortune Barishal produced a magnificent chase of a challenging 195 to beat Chittagong Kings by three wickets and capture the Bangladesh Premier League title.

Playing at the Shere Bangla National Stadium on Friday, the left-handed Mayers blasted a 28-ball 46 as Barishal got over the line with three balls to spare.

Veteran opener and captain Tamim Iqbal top-scored with 54 off 29 balls while opening partner Towhid Hridoy weighed in with 32.

Sent in earlier, Kings looked to have taken the upper hand when Parvez Hossain Emon top-scored with 78 not out from 49 deliveries and opening partner Khawaja Nafay punched 66 from 44 deliveries, with Graham Clark striking 44 from 23 balls.

The opening stand yielded 121 off 76 balls, Parvez counting half-dozen fours and four sixes and Nafay finishing with seven fours and three sixes.

When the stand was broken in the 13th over, Clark arrived to punch two fours and three sixes and put on a further 70 for the second wicket with Parvez.

Handed the new ball, Mayers sent down four wicket-less overs which cost 35 runs.

In reply, Tamim and Towhid gave the chase an ideal foundation in a stand of 76, the left-handed Tamim counting nine fours and a six and the right-handed Towhid counting three fours.

When three wickets tumbled to leave the chase at 96 for three in the 11th over, the 32-year-old Mayers took responsibility for the innings, clobbering three fours and three sixes in a stunning knock.

Critically, he added 34 for the fourth wicket with Mushfiqur Rahim (16) before dominating a 42-run fifth wicket stand with Mahmudullah (7).

When he perished in the 18th over there was still work to be done but Rishad Hossain settled the affair with a couple of sixes in a six-ball unbeaten 18.

(BT)