Faf Du Plessis is back with form while pacer Nahidul Islam sparked with the ball as Comilla Victorians secured an emphatic 52-run win over Chattogram Challengers in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) Twenty20 tournament on Monday (Jan 31) at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.
The victory meant they are now top of the table with six points from three matches and remained the only unbeaten side in this edition of BPL so far. Chattogram Challengers also had six points but they played six matches.
South African star Du Plessis struck an unbeaten 83 off 55 and was ably supported by Cameron Delport’s marauding 23 ball-51 not out as Comilla compiled a hefty 183-3. Nahidul then claimed 3-17 in a tight bowling to bowl Chattogram out for just 131 runs in 17.3 overs.
Put into bat first, Comilla though lost Mahmudul Hasan Joy (1) at the very beginning, recovered well through Liton Das and Du Plessis. The duo combined for an 80-run partnership for the second wicket to lay a solid platform. Liton hit 47 off 34, clobbering five fours and one six before being out by left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed who was the best bowler for Chattogram with 2-23 from four overs.
Benny Howell then removed Comilla captain Imrul Kayes for 1 but Delport and Plessis shared 97-run for an unbeaten fourth wicket stand to help the side amass a big total. Plessis’s knock was studded by eight fours and three sixes while Delport clattered four fours and three sixes for his 51 not out.
Only Will Jacks could make some resistance against a relentless Comilla bowling attack. Jacks hammered 69 off 42 with seven fours and three sixes. The next best was Mrittunjoy Chowdhury’s 13. Mehdiy Hasan Miraz who after captaincy agreed to play, could score just 10 runs. They are the only three batters to reach double digit figures.
Miraz, however, gave away 30 runs from three overs.
Nahidul’s three-for however was complemented by Mustafizur Rahman, Tanvir Islam and Shohidul Islam who all grabbed two wickets apiece.
