Wide yorkers are one of the key weapons in the arsenal for bowlers trying to stem the flow of runs in T20s. Dhaka Capitals had a set Liton Das at the crease and skipper Thisara Perera has the knack for incredible cameo knocks. Both plundered runs with some scintillating bat-speed during their game against Sylhet Strikers in Chattogram on Monday.

However, those two were not the only difference-makers in the game, for Sylhet had conceded 25 runs in extras during the last six overs alone -- including sixes hit off no balls -- which significantly helped in their bid to end the innings as close to 200 as possible.

Dhaka had reached the end of the 14th a 101 for three at a cumbersome pace. Liton and Thisara got into the act and notched a whopping 81-run stand off just 28 deliveries. While credit goes to both batters, 20 of those runs came through extras in that partnership and they were just the ignition Dhaka needed to reach the eventual score of 196 for six.

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Smaller boundaries, bigger problems

Sylhet bowlers bowled 11 wides during the game. Spinner Tipu Sultan alone bowled four wides. Left-arm pacer Ruyel Miah matched him with four more. Two of those came in the 16th over against Liton, one producing a bye run as well. Ruyel bowled two wides, one producing bye runs again in the 19th over. 19 runs had come off that over.

Bowling had been pretty ordinary and it allowed for 95 runs to be scored off the last six overs. With pacer Al Amin Hossain getting injured during warm-up, Sylhet could not replace the player, leading to a diminished bowling attack.

The game did get tight in the end though as Sylhet fought tooth and nail but with 23 needed off the last over, they fell short by just six runs. Afghanistan's Samiullah Shinwari was one of the batters in that final over. He did not quite get the number of extras right but said it made the difference.

"Yes of course, upset because we were very close to the match and it was very near. We played really well, I think we gave 15-20 runs in extras, that's where the main point is. We bowled very well, we fielded very well and we batted very well. But it's a part of the game, we still have four games to play. So we believe that we can do our best in the coming matches," Shinwari said after the game.

Opposition skipper Thisara was happy to win what was only his side's only second victory. He felt players are not robots and extras can happen.

"Sometimes it can happen, we are not robots. So failure can happen. But if we can minimise the extras, it will definitely help the team," he said.

Wides have been aplenty in the BPL this season and many of those have way too misdirected that wicketkeepers have often struggled to keep them from running for boundaries. This issue has been a point of contention since the beginning, something which gained wide traction after Australian cricket writer Jarrod Kimber the issue in one of his podcasts.

He brought into notice a game where Dhaka's Alauddin Babu conceded eight runs in one delivery, conceding three wides in a row. Apparently, a lot of money had been bet on the score being over 78.5 and after 9.5 overs in that game, the score was 72. It had seemed impossible for the batting side to get over 78.5 run-threshold after 9.5 overs, yet it happened.

Whatever, the suggestions are the extras do not bode well either on BPL's more formidable stars nor the tournament itself.