Woakes’ final-ball six eliminates Riders

In a finish that bordered on the impossible, the Rangpur Riders were sent crashing out of the Bashundhara Cement Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) in the Eliminator that will go down in folklore as one of the cruellest exits in the tournament’s history.

Standing one ball away from defending a meagre 111/9, Riders saw their dreams of a miracle heist shattered when Chris Woakes launched a final-delivery six to clinch a three-wicket victory for the Sylhet Titans at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Tuesday.

It was a moment of unprecedented drama. Never before in the BPL had a team required exactly six runs from the final ball to win and successfully cleared the ropes. For the Riders, it was a dagger to the heart of a defensive effort that had almost defied logic.

The match began as a nightmare for Rangpur, as they were dismantled by a masterclass in seam bowling.

Khaled Ahmed was the primary architect of their ruin, claiming a sensational 4 for 14, while Woakes himself set the tone with 2 for 15.

Wicket-keeper Parvez Hossain Emon was the perfect accomplice, pouching four dismissals behind the stumps to leave Rangpur in ruins.

Restricted to a sub-par 111/9, Rangpur seemed destined for a quiet exit. However, their bowlers transformed a modest total into a mountain.

Mustafizur Rahman and Aliss Al Islam strangled the Titans’ response, turning a simple chase into a suffocating battle of nerves. As the game entered the final over, the stadium was a cauldron of noise, with Rangpur sensing a historic heist.

But Woakes, a veteran of high-stakes pressure, held his nerve. He carved a wide yorker over the cover boundary. As the ball disappeared into the sky, so did Rangpur’s season. 

While Titans march on, a devastated Riders side is left to lick their wounds and ponder how a miracle was snatched away by a single, defiant blow.