BPL 3 Match 3 Review: Sylhet Super Stars v Chittagong Vikings, Vikings off the mark in another tense finish

BPL 3 Match 3 Review: Sylhet Super Stars v Chittagong Vikings, Vikings off the mark in another tense finish: The Chittagong Vikings got a much-needed win however not before some drama in a closely contested match which witnessed yet another thrilling finish. Batting first the Vikings posted 180/5 and won the encounter by 1 runs with their bowlers managing to keep calm in pressure situations. The Super Stars were always in the run chase, however, could not get past the line. The start of the match was delayed for more than an hour, after the absence of the Super Stars’ skipper Mushfiqur Rahim for the toss.

Joshua Cobb and Ravi Bopara were the two players who did not have NOC’s, so they were not included in the Sylhet team sheets at the time of the toss which finally took place. But it is believed that by the time play was set to begin, BCB received those NOCs and so Sylhet decided to play them. Tamim Iqbal, he Vikings skipper protests thereafter stemmed from the fact that Cobb and Bopara were not in the original team sheets given to him at the toss. These two were ultimately left out of the Sylhet team and thus they fielded only 2 overseas players in the game. Rahim won the toss and decided to field first.

The Vikings got an early setback when Dilshan was dismissed for a duck in the second over by Subashis Roy, he mistimed a pull shot and got caught. Tamim Iqbal was watchful early on however opened up in smashing Munaweera for 4 fours in the fifth over. He continued playing aggressively and found an able partner in Yasir Ali who was making his T20 debut. He brought up his 50 off just 33 balls in the 9th over of the innings. He hammered Ajantha Mendis for a four and six in the same over and followed it up with a couple of sixes in the tenth over bowled by Nazmul Islam. He was finally dismissed by Mendis in the 13th over after a superb knock of 69 from just 45 balls. Trying to go for a drive he didn’t reach the pitch of the ball and gave an easy catch to short third-man.

Yasir had faced 28 balls and scored only 14 runs and decided to improve his strike rate after the wicket of his captain. He smashed Mendis for a four and six in the same over and made his intentions clear. Anamul Haque went for 3 and was dismissed by Munaweera in the next over. Jeevan Mendis came in and spanked Islam for 2 consecutive sixes in the 16th over. He went for a 20 off 13 balls after being caught by Rahim off Mohammad Shahid’s slower ball. A couple of sixes in the next over took Yasir Ali past 50. He was dismissed off the final ball of the innings being run out going for the second run. A well made 63 off 52 balls including 4 sixes ensured the Vikings posted a challenging total of 180/5. Ziaur Rehman remained unbeaten on 15 off just 7 balls including 1 four and 1 six.

Mohammad Amir conceded a four off the first ball of the Super Stars’ innings, however, bowled 5 tight balls conceding just 5 off the over. Munaweera had struck the first boundary of the innings and was up against Dilshan who was to bowl the second over. 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 is what the over yielded much to the delight of a big crowd at Mirpur. He kept hitting the ball crisply and the Super Stars were sitting pretty at 54/0 from the first 5 overs. He brought up his half-century in the next over with a four and six off Saeed Ajmal before Junaid Siddique, who had faced 13 balls, was dismissed for 5 in the 7th over by Shafiul Islam.

Ajmal took 2 wickets in his next over and put the pressure back on the opposition. The first to go was Munaweera, after a blistering knock of 64 off 30 balls which included 13 fours and 1 six, followed by Mominul Haque for 2 off 5. The Sri Lankan was caught at mid-wicket while Haque couldn’t execute a reverse sweep and was caught plumb in front. Rahim, known to execute his skills under pressure, steadied things and kept rotating the strike to good effect. Nazrul Hasan hit a six and 2 boundaries in the 13th over and by the end of it the Super Stars needed 59 off 42 balls.

Hasan was dismissed LBW by Shafiul for a well made 32 off 20. Milon was the next to go for 9 becoming Shafiul’s 3rd wicket. A spell of 3/25 from 4 overs was remarkable under the circumstances. With 26 needed from 18 and Rahim on 32 off 24, the match seemed to be in control for the Super Starts, however, Amir bowled a brilliant 18th over which also witnessed a run-out, that of Mohammad Shahid; Amir conceded just 5 runs in this over.

Rahim hit a full toss from Taskin out of the park and brought the equation down to 9 off the last over. Trying to scoop the ball to fine-leg he made a mistake of taking a single leaving Mendis with too much to do. A bye on the 4th ball brought the skipper back on strike and hit a splendid 4 off the penultimate ball through covers to ensure a last ball finish. Amir held his nerve and bowled a fuller one on the off side which Rahim could only guide to the covers managing just a single thereby handing the Vikings a 1 run victory. He remained unbeaten on 50 off 34 balls. Shafiul Islam was rightly awarded the player of the match for his brilliant spell.

Brief Scores:

Chittagong Vikings – 180/5 (Tamim Iqbal 69; Subashis Roy 1/22)

Sylhet Super Stars – 179/6 (Munaweera 64; Shafiul Islam 3/25)