Tamim, Perera gives Dhaka emphatic win over Cumilla
Photo - BCB , Roton Gomes
|| CF Correspondent ||
Thisara Perera’s sterling all-round performance was complemented by Tamim Iqbal’s sublime 74 as Dhaka Platoon got back to the winning way with a 20-run victory over Cumilla Warriors in the Bangabandhu Bangladesh Premier League (BBPL) at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Friday.
Perera struck 17 ball-42 not out before taking 5-30 with bowling to single-handedly crush Cumilla, who eyed their second successive victory. Tamim’s 53 ball-74 meanwhile brought relief for the Bangladesh team management as the opener was going through a prolonged bad patch with willow.
Thanks to Tamim’s well-composed knock that was studded by six fours and four sixes and Perera’s ultra-aggressive innings, Dhaka racked up 180-7, so far the season’s highest’ recovering from a shaky start.
With cherry, Perera later triggered a collapse in Cumilla innings with 5-30, including the key wicket of dangerman Dasun Shanaka and held Cumilla back to 160-9.
This was Dhaka’s first victory after suffering a shocking nine-wicket defeat to Rajshahi Royals in the opening match. Cumilla saw the other side of the coin in the second match, having won the first game against Rangpur Ringers by 105 runs.
After being sent to bat first, Dhaka lost opener Anamul Haque Bijoy in the first ball, when Mujeeb Ur Rahman had him leg-before with a turning delivery. Abu Haider Rony then dismissed Mahedi Hasan (12) to leave Dhaka 26-2. Considering the off-form of Tamim, it looked Dhaka headed towards another low score but that was not to be.
After some nervy moments in the crease, Tamim finally got him settled in the crease and brought out all kinds of shots from his repertoire to make the Cumilla bowlers disarray.
With Laurie Evans, he shared 75-run for the third wicket to set the platform, which later was utilized well by Thisara Perera.
After the dismissal of Evans for 23, Perera came down heavily on the Cumilla bowlers to wheel the scoreboard at a massive pace. Tamim meanwhile played one shot too many to be dismissed by Shanaka.
Captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza also joined the party with Perera to help the side post a daunting total.
Perera struck seven fours and one six in his knock.
Shanaka and Soumya picked up two wickets apiece for Cumilla while Mujeeb conceded just 15 runs in his four overs to grab one wicket.
Bhanuka Rajapaksa gave the kind of start of what Cumilla needed to gun down such a big target. But Mashrafe stemmed the run flow, by rattling Rajapaksa’s stump after his 12 ball-29.
Soumya Sarkar and Dawid Malan kept the side in the hunt before Wahab Riaz got the better of the batsman for 35.
Cumilla was in the race still but Perera decided to stamp his authority with bowling also as he came up with a double strike to remove Sabbir Rahman and Dasun Shanaka in consecutive deliveries.
Shanaka scripted Cumilla’s victory against Rangpur Rangers with 31 ball-75 not out but here his golden duck evaporated any kind of chance against Dhaka.
Malan and Mahidul Islam Ankan fought but the asking run rate climbed at such an alarming rate that they were unable to produce even any threat. Amid Cumilla’s struggle, Perera scalped three wickets in his last over, including consecutive two wickets in the last two deliveries to sit on a hat-trick.
Malan was the highest scorer for the side with 40 while Ankan made 37.
Wahab Riaz took 2-16 to complement Perera’s second five-for in his T20 career.
