Taskin's four-for helps Sylhet defend 168
After Warner, Afif Hossain and Pooran lifted Sixers from a poor start, Vikings stumbled after starting strongly in the chase to lose by five runs
The Report by Akshay Gopalakrishnan
09-Jan-2019
ICC
Sylhet Sixers 168 for 5 (Warner 59, Pooran 52*, Frylinck 3-26) beat Chittagong Vikings 163 for 7 (Frylinck 44*, Delport 38, Taskin 4-28) by five runs
How the game played out
The 2018-19 Bangladesh Premier League has been replete with low-scoring matches. The high-scoring ones have usually been one-sided. In that regard, Sylhet Sixers v Chittagong Vikings was an anomaly.
The Sixers made 168. Vikings responded with 163. Neither team looked like they'd get as many. Sixers suffered a top-order collapse, Vikings a middle-order collapse. But such is the power teams pack their batting line-ups with these days. The batting muscle runs deep. Their lower orders are filled with burly power-hitters who love to swing.
David Warner, the Sixers captain, held up his end even as Robbie Frylinck ripped through his top order after he had elected to bat. It enabled Afif Hossain to counterattack after the early losses. It also gave enough security for Nicholas Pooran to blaze away to a half-century at the fag end. And it gave Warner enough time to notch up his own fifty.
Vikings were on course in the chase, but dug themselves into a hole with a middle-overs meltdown. Taskin Ahmed chipped away with 4 for 28 as Vikings' chase got progressively harder. Sikandar Raza first, and then Frylinck took them close, but it was too much left for too late.
Turning points
- The Warner-Afif partnership. Sixers were reeling at 6 for 3 in the third over when the two came together. They put on 71 off 47 balls to seamlessly repair the damage.
- Vikings were 63 for 1 in the eighth over of the chase, well on course, when Cameron Delport was felled by a direct hit from Sandeep Lamichhane at point. Not only did it end a dominant innings from Delport, but it also triggered a collapse through the middle overs that ended up costing them the game.
- Though the required rate had jumped well over 13 at that point, Raza had left Vikings with a fighting chance when Taskin snuffed it out by inducing an inside edge that clattered into the stumps. With Nayeem Hasan cutting Taskin's next ball straight to point, Taskin had four, and Vikings were left with 38 to get off the last two, which proved too many.
Star of the day
Frylinck had as good a day as anyone has this season. He made an early impact with the ball, snaring two wickets in his first two overs to cut through Sixers early. Later, he returned to nip out the dangerous Warner, who was set on 59 and looking to break free. Having done all that, he was also required to do a job with the bat, top-scoring for Vikings with 44 not out off 24 balls - that included four big sixes - to take them to the brink.
The big miss
As well as Frylinck did, he failed to capitalise on the last major opportunity that came his way. With Vikings needing seven off the last ball, Al-Amin Hossain offered a low full toss outside Frylinck's off-stump. Frylinck couldn't quite get underneath it, and only managed to drill it straight back towards the bowler, who stuck his hand out and kept it to a single.
Where the teams stand
Sixers' first win of the competition took them one spot up to fourth. Vikings remained unchanged on third place with a superior net run rate.
Akshay Gopalakrishnan is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo