Stats: Luke Ronchi hits the third fastest fifty in Bangladesh Premier League

After a moderate start to the Bangladesh Premier League’s 5th edition, the former New Zealand keeper-batsman Luke Ronchi lit up the league with a brilliant 35-ball 78 in the last game of the Sylhet leg matches on Wednesday. The Chittagong Vikings’ opener brought up his fifty in just 19 balls and took his team to 100-run mark by 9th over with help of his blistering innings.

Luke Ronchi started off his innings with a couple of sixes in the very first over off Mashrafe Mortaza, the Rangpur Riders’ captain, who elected to field first after winning the toss. Ronchi struck three fours in Sohag Gazi’s over and in the 3rd over, he took on Nazmul Islam to 22 runs in four balls by hitting 6, 6, 4 and 6 in consecutive deliveries. Vikings completed their 50 by end of 3rd over and Ronchi raced to a 16-ball 48.

The 37-year-old needed three more balls for his fifty, thus recording the 3rd fastest half-century in the BPL history. In the inaugural edition of BPL in 2012, Ahmed Shehzad scored a 16-ball fifty, which is still a record. Shehzad brought up his century in 40 balls during the game, the quickest hundred in BPL so far. During the last season, Seekkuge Prasanna scored an 18-ball fifty which is the 2nd fastest in league history.

Fastest fifties in Bangladesh Premier League: (In Balls)

Ronchi’s quick-fire innings came to an end when he failed to clear a delivery off Ravi Bopara after scoring 78 off 35 balls with help of seven fours and seven sixes. His strike rate in this innings of 222.85 is the 5th best for any player in a BPL innings of 30 and more deliveries.

Highest strike rates in a BPL innings: (Min: 30 Balls faced)

In the previous game against Comilla Victorians, Ronchi struck a 21-ball 40 with three sixes and four fours. His fifty against Rangpur is his 4th in Twenty20 format coming in 20 and fewer balls. Chris Gayle has seven such fifties coming in 20 and fewer balls while David Warner and Kieron Pollard have six and five respectively.

Most fifties in Twenty20 cricket in 20 or fewer balls:

(Stats as on November 8, 2017)