December 7, 2024
Cricket Victoria suffered a 56-run defeat in the finals of the ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League on Friday evening at the National Stadium Providence, in front of a sizable crowd.
Victoria, led by openers Blake Macdonald and Joe Clarke, started strong, capitalizing on the powerplay overs as they chased 179 for the win.
After six overs, they were 53 for 1, needing 125 runs from 84 balls. However, the collapse soon began.
Macdonald was dismissed for 16, followed by in-form Sanjay KrishnaMurthi (10), Jonathan Wells (2), and Scott Edwards (9).
Victoria found themselves at 79 for 4 after 10 overs.
Clarke managed to contribute 40 runs, but after his dismissal, Victoria struggled to recover.
As Victoria’s batsmen faltered, Rangpur Riders tightened the screws.
With 77 more runs required from 36 balls, Marmeet Singh starred with 3 wickets for 19 runs.
Mehedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, and Said Hassan each took 2 wickets, while Kamrul Islam claimed one.
Earlier, Rangpur Riders, winning the toss, opted to bat first and got off to a solid start.
Openers Steven Taylor and Soumya Sarkar added 50 runs without losing a wicket.
After 10 overs, they were 76 for 0, with Taylor on 39 and Sarkar on 33.
Taylor eventually finished with 68 runs, including 4 sixes and 4 fours.
The Riders reached 124 before losing their first wicket.
Sarkar continued his strong performance, making 86 runs, as Rangpur Riders ended their innings at 178 for 3 after 20 overs, setting a target of 179 for Victoria.
Cricket Victoria’s bowlers Dominic Drakes, Max Birhisel, and Karima Gore took one wicket each.
In the end, Rangpur Riders collected the coveted Kaieteur Falls-inspired diamond-encrusted trophy and the $1 million prize money.