Nepal’s leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane produced a crucial run out and returned with miserly bowling figures to play a vital role in Sylhet Sixers’ first victory in this season’s Bangladesh Premier League on Wednesday.

In their second match of the tournament, Australian opener David Warner-led Sixers edged Chittagong Vikings by five runs in a match kept alive by South African veteran Robert Frylinck until the last over. Half centuries from Warner and West Indian batsman Nicholas Pooran led Sixers, who had elected to bat first, to a challenging 168-5 in 20 overs.

Vikings were restricted to 163-7 in reply but not before giving Sixers a run for their money. In between, Lamichhane kept his impressive performance going. Although the Nepali leggie went wicketless,he gave away just 21 runs in his four-over spell. It came after Lamichhane picked up 2-16 against Comilla Victorians in the first match which Sixers had lost by four wickets.

Vikings lost their attacking Afghan opener Mohammad Shahzad early before Cameron Delport and Mohammad Ashraful played catch-up with the run rate, following a half century stand until Lamichhane struck, this time from the field. Sprinting from the point position, Lamichhane collected the ball and dismissed dangerous-looking Delport with a direct hit to end a 57-run partnership. The run out came after Lamichhane conceded just four runs in his first over, and it helped slow down scoring pace for the Vikings. Lamichhane gave away just three runs in his second over and five in the third. Zimbabwean allrounder Sikandar Raza hit Lamichhane for the only boundary in the last ball of his fourth over where he conceded nine runs.

Raza (37) and Frylinck had kept Vikings in the game with a 37-run sixth wicket stand before Taskin Ahmed struck with the twin dismissal of the Zimbabwean and new man Nayeem Hassan as the chasing team needed 38 runs from 12 deliveries. Frylinck managed to hit lanky Pakistani pacer Mohammad Irfan for two sixes to collect 14 runs in the penultimate over. The South African made a good connection in the final over from Al-Amin Hossain, hitting two sixes but only managing 18 out of 24 run required. Frylinck top scored for Vikings with a 25-ball 44 not out hitting four sixes and a boundary. Ahmed took 4-28 from four overs for Sixers, while Alok Kapali had two scalps.

Earlier, two wickets from Frylinck and one from Nayeem Hassan had reduced Sixers to 6-3 in 2.4 overs before Warner and Afif Hossain resurrected the innings with a 71-run partnership. Hossain struck 45 off 25 with five fours and three sixes. Despite losing Hossain, it was Warner-Pooran pair who did the damage in a 70-run fifth wicket stand.

Man-of-the-match Pooran was the major aggressor with a match-defining 52 off 32 balls with three sixes and as many boundaries. Warner top scored with a 47-ball 59 with two fours and a six. Following the victory, Sixers have now climbed to the fourth spot. Dhaka Dynamites currently lead the table on net run rate after they were tied on four points with Rangpur Riders. Sixers will play Dynamites in their next match on Saturday.