Bangladesh Premier League: Samuels, Mortaza give Victorians first win

Duo anchor innings to reach Chittagong Vikings’ 177-run target

Marlon Samuels’ unbeaten 69-run stand and skipper Mashrafe Mortaza’s unbeaten 56-run knock guided Comilla Victorians to a seven-wicket win over Chittagong Vikings in the fifth match of the Bangladesh Premier League at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur on Tuesday.

The victors, who elected to field after winning the toss, restricted Chittagong Vikings on 176-4 from 20 overs as Ashar Zaidi claimed two wickets while man of the match Mortaza and Sunil Narine picked up one wicket apiece.

While Ziaur Rehman (39) and Anamul Haque (39) top-scored for Chittagong Vikings, openers Tamim Iqbal (33) and Tillakaratne Dilshan (36) set the momentum with a 69-run partnership, which ended with Dilshan’s wicket off Zaidi, while Iqbal fell 15 balls later to the same bowler.

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Yasir Ali (22) also contributed to the scoreline.

In reply, Comilla Victorians were reduced to 2-10 by the third over as Pakistan’s Muhammad Amir continued his brilliant form in the T20 league with dismissals of Liton Das and Imrul Kayes to take his wicket tally to six in the tournament. However, Samuels and Mortaza steadied the ship, along with Shuvagata Hom (30), who was dismissed off a Shafiul Islam delivery in the eighth over, to reach the target of 177 runs with seven wickets to spare.

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The win awards two points to Comilla Victorians, who now have won one and lost as many matches, while Chittagong Vikings lost their second match of the tournament. Vikings also have two points but have played three matches, with their sole win coming against Sylhet Super Stars.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 25^th, 2015.

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