BPL 4, Match 37, Review: Comilla Victorians win third game in a row to keep chances alive

The race for the playoffs has started. With just 5 matches to go in the league stage, all times have a sniff at the playoffs. Comilla Victorians were set to take on Khulna Titans in a key encounter. In their best bid to qualify, the Victorians needed to win their last two games and then hope for other results to go in their favor. The Titans, on the other hand, were just a win away from qualifying.

Comilla Victorians had the upper hand at the toss. Mashrafe Mortaza won the toss the opted to bowl first. Having won their last two matches, the Victorians decided to stick to their winning combination. The Khulna Titans brought in Benny Howell in place of Kevon Cooper. Cooper was found to have suspect bowling action in their last match.

In walked Riki Wessels and Hasanuzzaman to open the innings. Mohammad Sharif struck early to clean bowl Wessels on 4. Abdul Mazid then put on a brief 30 run stand for the 2nd wicket with Hasanuzzaman. The Khulna Titans were poised at 38/1 by the end of the powerplay.

Skipper Mortaza struck on the very first ball after the powerplay. He dismissed Mazid on 18 (14) to bring the opposition skipper Mahmudullah to the crease. Mahmudullah looked in a good touch and so did Hasanuzzaman at the other end. Hasanuzzaman played well for his 26-ball 29 before becoming Mortaza’s second wicket in the 11th over.

Nicholas Pooran (14) was Mortaza’s third scalp as the wickets kept tumbling from one end. Mahmudullah was gritty at the other end as he held the innings from falling in tatters. He remained unbeaten on 40 off 38 balls with 4 fours as the Khulna Titans posted just 141/6 in their 20 overs. Mortaza emerged as the pick of the bowlers with 3/16.

Comilla Victorians knew they had a strong chance in the game. Imrul Kayes opened the batting with in-form batsman Ahmed Shehzad. However, the Comilla Victorians were rocked back early as Junaid Khan sent Shehzad packing for a duck. The other in-form batsman Marlon Samuels was the new man in.

Both Samuels and Kayes batted with flair and posed a serious threat to the Titans bowlers. With 40 runs in the powerplay, they had a good base setup for a late launch. The 2nd wicket partnership fell short of fifty by just one run. Shafiul struck in the 8th over to dismiss Kayes on run-a-ball 20.

Khalid Latif perished cheaply on 3 as Mosharraf Hossain was the beneficiary. Mashrafe Mortaza provided some entertainment for the Comilla Victorians fans. The Titans looked to get back in the game but 3 sixes from Mortaza in his 18-ball 20 gave impetus to the Comilla Victorians run chase. Mortaza’s cameo ended when Benny Howell had him caught by Shuvagata Hom.

Howell dismissed Nazmul Hossain Shanto too but it was a little too late. Samuels, at the other end, had reached his fity and the Victorians were a sniff away from victory. Liton Das played the right supporting role for Samuels. The duo saw Comilla Victorians over the line with 5 wickets in hand.

The win still sees them at the last spot but they have an outside chance if they win their last match of the league. Samuels made an unbeaten 69 off 57 balls with 8 fours and Liton played the long handle well for his 11-ball 24 with 5 fours.

Brief Scores:

Khulna Titans: 141/6 in 20 overs (Mahmudullah 40*, Hasanuzzaman 29, Mortaza 3/16, Sharid 1/27)

Comilla Victorians: 142/5 in 18.4 overs (Samuels 69*, Liton 24*, Howell 2/25, Mosharraf 2/21)