West Indies recruit Kyle Mayers came up with yet another sterling allround performance as Fortune Barishal kept the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) final hopes alive, thrashing Chattogram Challengers by seven wickets in the Eliminator game today at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
Put into bat first, Chattogram were restricted to paltry 135-9, a score that Barishal eased past by making 136-3 in just 14.5 overs.
Kyle Mayers who took 2-28, led the chase with 26 ball-50, smashing three fours and five sixes. He bludgeoned Chattogram skipper Shuvagata Hom for 26 runs with three sixes and two fours in the fifth over, that effectively sealed the game.
Mayers-storm, however, steered Barishal to 73-1 in the first powerplay with captain Tamim Iqbal playing to his second fiddle.
Fresh from his 48 ball-66, Tamim was unbeaten on 53 off 43, sending the ball across the ropes for nine times.
Barishal lost Soumya Sarkar in the second ball of the chase for a duck but Mayers and Tamim put on 98 off just 54 balls to edge the side closer to victory.
Bilal Khan ended Mayers innings, as he edged a delivery behind.
David Miller came to the crease amid sky high expectation but could score just 17 off 13 with two boundaries before Romario Shepherd had him caught by Josh Brown.
Tamim and Mushfiqur Rahim thereafter drove the side to the victory with plenty of deliveries to spare.
Mohammad Saifuddin (2-28) and Obed McCoy (2-29) also dazzled along with Mayers earlier to help the side restrict Chattogram to a moderate total.
Opener Josh Brown made the team-high 34 off 22, clobbering two fours and three sixes but his fluent knock was hardly complemented by the other batters.
Shuvagata Hom was the next-best scorer with 16 ball-24, a knock that was key in taking the side past 100 after Barishal bowlers had Chattogram wobbled.
Barishal will now play the Qualifier-2 game on Wednesday, which turns out to be a virtual semifinal. They will be joined by the team, which will taste defeat in the Qualifier-1 game.
Comilla Victorians and Rangpur Riders will face off in the Qualifier-1 later at night today.
