|| CF Correspondent ||

Off-spinner Mahedi Hasan dismantled Sylhet Sixers in a gem of spin bowling to help Comilla Victorians seal an emphatic eight-wicket victory and thereby crushed Sixers’ hope to make a winning-start at their home ground on Tuesday at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.

Despite their ambition to make the home venue as their fortress, as revealed by captain David Warner, Sylhet Sixers were folded for tournament’s second lowest 68 in just 14.5 overs—also the fifth lowest total in BPL’s history.

With lot of dew in the ground that made the bowlers task tough, this was a target to achieve with ease and Comilla, despite the suicidal run out of Anamul Haque Bijoy in the first delivery and Tamim Iqbal’s wretched effort, Comilla reached the victory mark with 69 for two in 11.1 overs.

But even the low-scoring affair stored some dramas. As Tamim started walking, Sylhet Sixers’ captain David Warner was seen to have given him a send-off by saying something to which the opener reacted angrily. Umpires were seen to intervene and Warner, who has been on a one-year ban, imposed by Cricket Australia following a ball-tampering scandal, tried to make them understand something.

The situation however was taken under control after which Shamsur Rahman Shuvo and Imrul Kayes serenely drove the side to their third victory in fifth match.

Shamsur was unbeaten on 34 while Kayes was on 30.

But before dew affected the game, Mahedi Hasan did his job perfectly by rattling the Sixers’ top order in a one intriguing over. Coming to bowl in the second over of the innings, he removed three batsmen in four balls to leave Sixers in tittering five for three.

He got the scalp of Andre Fletcher (4), playing his first match, with one that spun viciously, leaving the West Indian bewildered and then dismissed David Warner with another beauty for seven ball-duck.

In his immediate next delivery he got Afif Hossain (0) who didn’t expect any turn but to his dismay, it got pinned him on the front leg in front of the middle.

The triple strike was too much to endure. And Sixers’ situation in front of the adorable home crowd was worsened when Saifuddin got inform Nicholas Pooran, via leg-before for 0.

Left-arm spinner Liam Dawson picked up Liton Das and Sabbir Rahman, both for 6 in his consecutive overs, leave the hosts 16 for six. It turned out to be 22 for seven when Mahedi Hasan in his last of over of his bowling quota dismissed Sohain Tanvir for 5.