Mushfiqur trumps Perera’s marauding knock in high-scoring thriller
Photo - BCB
|| CF Correspondent ||
A breathtaking 41 ball-75 by skipper Mushfiqur Rahim’s outshined Thisara Perera’s thunderous 26 ball-74 not out to guide Chittagong Vikings prevail in a high-scoring thriller as they edged Comilla Victorians past by four wickets in Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) on Sunday at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
The victory effectively took Chittagong to the second position with six points in four matches in the cash-rich tournament behind Dhaka Dynamites who maintained a clean chit so far in four matches.
This was the first game also in the tournament barring the involvement of the Dhaka Dynamites in which two teams scored over 180 plus runs. Batting first Comilla Victorians made them heavily favourite by racking up 184 for five, thanks to a marauding knock from Sri Lankan recruit Perera who was playing his first BPL game in this season.
Just it looked Comilla Victorians would seal the deal without any fuss, Mushfiqur Rahim turned it on his head by guiding the side for one of the most fascinating victories in the tournament’s history. After smashing seven fours and four sixes in his match winning knock, Mushfiqur Rahim was out in the penultimate over, leaving the side a requirement of seven runs in the last over. An Inform Robbi Frylinck didn’t make any fuss as he sealed the deal with a six over midwicket fence to help the side overhaul the target with two balls to spare.
Opener Mohammad Shahzad gave the initial impetus with 27 ball-43, hitting six fours and two sixes—an innings that kept the asking run rate under control. After the dismissal of Shahzad, Mushfiqur took the onus and kept the side on course almost single handedly.
His 44-run partnership with Mosaddek Hossain in which he dominated mostly was the key in overhauling the target indeed. While Mosaddek was not as aggressive as he should be, he at least resisted quick wicket tumbling and helped Mushfiqur set the tune. And Mushfiqur did it perfectly, edging the side close to victory before Saiuddin had him caught behind by Tamim Iqbal at long on.
Earlier Comilla’s innings was all about the whirlwind batting of Thisara Perera. While the top and middle order barring opener Evin Lewis failed to thrive in slow wicket, Perera’s six-filled knock put Comilla Victorians in a superb position.
Perera three fours and eight sixes in a show of clean hitting to help the side reach in a position which looked distant dream once Comilla were five down for 86 in 14th overs. But Thisara and Saifuddin put on a 98 off 40 balls in an unbroken sixth wicket stand to raise the prospect of the side’s third victory. However Mushfiqur’s smart knock eventually hogged all the limelight.
