BPL 2019-20: Lewis Gregory's all-round brilliance inspires Rangpur Rangers to second consecutive win
All-rounder Lewis Gregory (28 and 2/28) shone in both the departments for Rangpur Rangers as he guided his team to a comfortable win over Rajshahi Royals in match number 28 of Bangladesh Premier League 2019. Taskin Ahmed (4/29) supported Gregory to perfection with his 4-wicket haul.
After conceding 182 runs to the Rangers, the Royals could only score 135 in their 20 overs despite having the likes of Andre Russell (17) and Ravi Bopara (28) in their lineup. The opening batsmen, Liton Das (15) and Afif Hossain (7) could not provide a solid start to the innings and, veteran batsman Shoaib Malik (0) lost his wicket on the first ball he faced. Though Alok Kapali (31) struck 2 fours and 2 sixes in his knock, the innings never got momentum.
Mustafizur Rahman (0/16) and Mohammad Nabi (1/29) provided apt assistance to Gregory and Ahmed as Rangpur Rangers recorded their second win in two days.
Talking about the winning team's batting performance, Mohammad Naim (55) anchored the innings as he stayed in the middle for 13.2 overs. Cameron Delport (31) turned the momentum in Rangpur's favor with his 3 fours and 2 sixes while Gregory and wicket-keeper batsman Jahurul Islam (19) provided the finishing touch to the innings.
Mohammad Irfan (2/35) was the pick of the bowlers for Rajshahi but the fact that skipper Russell had to use nine bowlers in the innings showcases the dominance of the opposition batsmen.
With this 47-run victory, Rangpur Rangers' points tally has gone up to 6. They still hold the sixth position in the standings. Rajshahi Royals have recorded their second loss in two days but still, they continue to be at the 4th position with 10 points in 8 matches. Besides, there are no matches in BPL 2019-20 tomorrow.