SYLHET, Jan 6, 2024 (V7N) – Alex Hales played a sensational knock of 113* as Rangpur Riders comfortably chased down a massive target of 206 to beat Sylhet Strikers by eight wickets in the opening match of the Bangladesh Premier League's (BPL) Sylhet phase.

Sylhet had set a daunting target after posting 205/4 in their allotted 20 overs. Opening batsmen Rony Talukdar (54 off 32 balls) and Zakir Hasan (50 off 38 balls) laid a solid foundation for the Strikers, while late hitting from Aaron Jones (38* off 19 balls) and Jaker Ali Anik (20* off 5 balls) propelled them past 200, with a blistering 74 runs coming off the final five overs.

Mohammad Saifuddin was the standout bowler for Rangpur, taking 2 wickets for 31 runs in his four overs.

In response, Rangpur Riders lost their opener Azizul Hakim for a duck early, but Hales and Saif Hassan (80 off 49 balls) took control. The pair shared a match-winning 186-run partnership for the second wicket, with Hales' 113 coming off 56 balls, including 10 fours and 7 sixes. Saif Hassan’s aggressive innings included 3 fours and 7 sixes, ensuring that Rangpur kept up with the required run rate.

Saif was dismissed in the 18th over, but with just a few runs needed, Hales and Iftikhar Ahmed (8* not out) saw Rangpur home in just 19 overs, finishing with 210/2.

It was Rangpur's fourth consecutive win, while Sylhet suffered their second straight defeat. Hales was deservedly named Player of the Match for his brilliant century.

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