Shoaib Malik endured till the end to give Comilla Victorians a four-wicket victory over Dhaka Dynamites in the BPL match at Shere-Bangla-National Stadium in Mirpur.
Comilla skipper Tamim Iqbal started the innings off promisingly when he hit back to back boundaries off star pacer Mohammed Amir on the first two deliveries of the innings. 16 runs came off Amir’s over as Comilla looked like they would run away with the game but Abu Hider struck next over as Liton’s stumps were disturbed.
Tamim looked to continue aggressively as he hit Narine straight down the ground for six off the first ball of the second third over. He then proceeded to dance down the wicket once more but Narine beat him on the turn and Tamim walked back after being stumped.
Imrul Kayes and Shoaib Malik were in the crease and they stabilized the innings after the loss of early wickets. A leg-before shout from Dhaka skipper Shakib against Kayes was turned down and the bowler got very animated due to the umpire’s decision. However, right-arm medium pacer Saddam Hossein removed Kayes in the next over as he was holed out at long-off.
Darren Bravo then fell as he nicked a sharp-turner from Narine as Comilla lost their fourth wicket for 75 runs.
Amir was brought back into the attack and he got the wickets of Jos Buttler and Mohammad Saifuddin in the same over to get Dhaka back into the game. Meanwhile, Shoaib Malik had been batting with composure at the other end and picking up the singles and two’s regularly.
Mohammad Saddam was asked to bowl the last over of the innings with Comilla needing nine runs for victory. Malik’s patience paid off as he cut away the first delivery to the boundary for four. Malik then refused a single in the next delivery before an inside edge that missed the stumps by the smallest margin raced away to the boundary and Malik got his fifty. Comilla needed another run and Malik pulled them over the line with a single to give Comilla a four-wicket victory.
Earlier, a fantastic five-for from Comilla Victorians pacer Hasan Ali saw Dhaka Dynamites bowled out for just 128.
Pakistan medium-pace bowler Hasan Ali got Comilla off to a flier as he got the scalp of Evin Lewis and Mehedi Maruf in his very first over.
Hasan Ali had dropped Lewis in the first over of the innings when he missed a sitter at deep square leg off the bowling of the impressive Mahedi Hasan but made amends almost immediately. Lewis was undone by a full and fast indipper and ball squeezed through before the bat could come down. One delivery later he squeezed through once again with a late swinging delivery that ricocheted of Maruf’s pads and onto the stumps.
Sunil Narine, who came in to open the innings for Dhaka played a blinder of a knock as he struck a 45-ball 76, an innings that contained seven four’s and five sixes. While the Comilla bowlers were impressive, Narine managed to hit a boundary off almost every bowler. He announced his pinch-hitting intentions when he struck Hasan Ali for two four’s and a six in the fourth over.
At the other end, Kumar Sangakkara played at a steady rate while Narine looked to go after the bowling. The two were involved in a 92 run partnership before Sangakkara was run out by a sharp piece of fielding by youngster Mahedi Hasan.
The Dhaka Dynamite innings slumped when Narine and Kevin Pollard fell in quick succession. Narine fell to Mohammad Saifuddin in the 14th over before Rashid Khan’s quick reflexes saw wicket-keeper Liton Das catch Pollard off his crease and get him run out.
Hasan Ali then returned to the attack to get the scalp of Mossadek Hossain- bowled in similar fashion to Mehedi Maruf. Jahurul Islam then fell leg-before to Rashid Khan and Dhaka skipper Shakib Al GHasan was bowled by Saifuddin.
Hasan then finished off the tail with two more wickets as Dhaka Dynamites were all out for just 128 from 18.3 overs. Hasan finished with figures of five for 20 in 3.3 overs.