Rangpur Rangers skipper Shane Watson’s first half-century of the Bangabandhu Bangladesh Premier League set up a 38-run win over a beleaguered Sylhet Thunder at the Sylhet International Stadium yesterday.

Rangpur’s fourth win from 10 games kept the side just about alive in the race to the play-offs, but for Sylhet, their ninth loss in 10 matches continued a nightmare season.

Watson’s 36-ball 68, which included six fours and five sixes, had taken Rangpur to an above-par 199 for five. For 15 overs of the chase, Sylhet were in the game as Sherfane Rutherford hit his maiden T20 fifty. With 59 required from the last five overs and with five wickets in hand, it seemed that the game would go down to the wire, but the wheels came off when Rutherford was run out in lackadaisical fashion in the 17th over, when he failed to ground his bat and was airborne when the throw hit the non-striker’s stumps. After Rutherford walked back for a 37-ball 60, with the score on 145 for seven, Sylhet limped to 161 all out with last man Monir Hossain absent hurt.

The former Australian all-rounder’s innings was ended by an inch-perfect yorker from Sylhet Thunder fast bowler Ebadot Hossain, who bowled Watson for the second time in identical fashion. Rangpur won by 38 runs. PHOTO: FIROZ AHMED

Mustafizur Rahman once again impressed for Rangpur, taking two wickets for 18 runs in 3.1 overs. Mustafizur now sits atop the wicket-takers’ list with 16 from 10 games.

Earlier, Sylhet chose to field at the toss and were put under pressure by a 77-run opening stand between Mohammad Naim and Watson. The left-handed Naim’s 33-ball 42 continued a consistent run this season, but the main thrust of Rangpur’s innings came from captain Watson, who had scored just 15 runs in his first four matches.

Watson started the carnage in the fifth over from off-spinner Nayeem Hasan, hammering two sixes and two fours. Naim’s dismissal, caught off Monir Hossain in the ninth over, opened the door for another big partnership as Cameron Delport added 61 runs with Watson in just 35 balls.

Watson reached his 50 off 31 balls in the 13th over by hitting Sherfane Rutherford for a four and a six. He followed that up with two more sixes and a four off Shohag Gazi in the next over. Then, against the run of play, Sylhet pacer Ebadot Hossain came in and had Delport caught in the deep and in the very next ball, for the second time in as many matches, bowled Watson with an inch-perfect yorker and reducing Rangpur to 138 for three. Watson’s departure did dent the momentum, but cameos from Mohammad Nabi (23 off 17) and Fazle Mahmud (16 off eight) lifted Rangpur to an above-par total.

In the day’s first match, Dhaka Platoon rode on a four-for from young pacer Hasan Mahmud to defeat Khulna Tigers by 12 runs and take top spot in the seven-team table. Khulna skipper hit a fantastic 33-ball 64 but it turned out to be in vain as they ended on 160 for eight, chasing Dhaka’s 172 for four.