BPL 2017, Match 42 Review: Comilla Victorians prove yet again why they're the table-toppers

Comilla Victorians have proved time and again why they deserve to go into the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2017 play-offs while being placed at the top spot of the points table. Wednesday’s match was just another day in the office for Comilla as they defeated Sylhet Sixers by 25 runs. This match brings an end to this season’s regular matches as the tournament moves on to the play-off stage.

Having won the toss, Sylhet Sixers opted to bowl first at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka. The decision didn’t work much to their favour like the rest of the tournament as Comilla Victorians got off to a flying start, aided by the swashbuckling hitting of Liton Das, who scored 65 runs off just 43 balls, hitting 6 boundaries and 3 sixers in the process. Although his opening partner, Jos Buttler and number 3 batsman, Imrul Kayes were unable to join in on the party, Marlon Samuels (55) was quick to put his hand up and contribute his share into building his team’s total.

Skipper Shoaib Malik (28) added the few invaluable, quickfire runs towards the end, taking Comilla’s total to a formidable 170-4 at the end of 20 overs on a track as two-paced as that of Dhaka’s. Sylhet’s bowlers looked hapless in front of the brutal hitting by Comilla batsmen. Although, Nabil Samad, Nasir Hossain, Kamrul Islam and Ross Whiteley picked up a wicket apiece, they were hit for a few too many runs, with their economies hovering around an average of 9 an over.

Comilla Victorians dominate Sylhet Sixers all throughout

Sylhet Sixers, who would’ve been thinking of gathering a victory in their last of the ongoing edition of the tournament, didn’t having the ideal opening stand. Keeper, Mohammad Rizwan was dismissed cheaply by Mahedi Hasan for just 6 runs. What Sylhet needed direly was a big partnership to see them through and that is exactly what they missed out on. Sabbir Rahman put in a brave knock of 31 runs off 20 balls , accompanied by Babar Azam who compiled 20 runs off 19 deliveries.

But in the face of a target as substantial as 171 runs, these partnerships proved to be frugal for Sylhet’s cause. Hossain’s side was reduced to an inhuman scenario of getting 36 runs off the last over. Graeme Cremer was the pick of the Comilla bowlers as he bagged 3 dismissals, while conceding just 15 runs in his quota of 4 overs. While Sylhet Sixers remained at the bottom half of the table with 9 points to their name at the end of the contest, Comilla Victorians notched up yet another 2 points, to take their tally to 18.

Brief Scores

Comilla Victorians: 170-4 in 20 overs (L Das 65; K Islam 1/29)

Sylhet Sixers: 145-7 in 20 overs (S Rahman 31; G Cremer 3/15)

Player of the Match: Liton Das