Rossouw, Hales shine with centuries in Rangpur Riders' big win

Rilee Rossouw and Alex Hales put on a T20 batting masterclass, scoring centuries that helped Rangpur Riders ease past the Chittagong Vikings by 72 runs. It is only the third time in T20 history that two batsmen scored hundreds in the same team innings.

Their 174-run second-wicket stand, which came at a run rate of 13.38, was also the fastest 100-plus partnership in the BPL history. Hales, whose 100 came off 47 balls, struck two of his five sixes straight and two slogged over midwicket, after having whipped the first one over long-leg in the fifth over. What also powered the run-rate were the 19 fours that Hales and Rossouw hit between them.

Riders' 239 for 4 also broke the BPL record for the highest team total, which was previously made against them when Dhaka Gladiators reached 217 for 4 in 2013.

Vikings couldn't get close but Yasir Ali continued to impress with another half-century, this time making a 48-ball 78 with six fours and three sixes.

Rossouw was batting on five when Hales reached his fifty in the sixth over. By the time Hales reached his century, Rossouw had raced to 72 off 36 balls. He got into top gear from the 14th over when he slogged Robiul Haque for two sixes and then lifted Sikandar Raza, Khaled Ahmed and Abu Jayed for a six each in the following three overs. Rossow's tournament tally of 459 runs is now just 27 short of Ahmed Shehzad's BPL record of most runs (486) in a single edition.

The ball after Rilee Rossouw reached his fifty, Sunzamul Islam dropped him after getting under the ball left of long-off. On its way out of his grasp, the ball also hit Sunzamul in the chin. To make matters worse, Rossouw struck Robiul for two sixes off the next two balls.

Vikings remained at the top spot with 12 points from eight games, but the Riders win boosted them to the third place, with ten points from nine outings.