Fortune Barishal need 152 to win BPL title

Comilla Victorians posted 151 for nine against Fortune Barishal in the final match of Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) T20 at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium in Mirpur on Friday.

BSS adds: A yet another Sunil Narine show anchored Comilla Victorians to 151-9 against Fortune Barishal.

Fresh from his marauding 16 ball-57 which included 13 ball-fifty, Sunil Narine yet again came up with whirlwind batting and made another 57 runs but this time played 23 balls and hammered five fours and as many sixes.

His epic show started right from the start as he blasted Mujeeb Ur Rahman for 18 runs in the first over and continued in same vain like the last match. Dwayne Bravo only could check his natural flamboyance, resisting him from making another record.

Shakib Al Hasan gave the side first breakthrough, rattling the stump of Liton Das for 4 with an arm ball but Narine’s relentless assault meant the scoreboard was rotated rapidly.

Narine finally got to his fifty off 21 balls and then struck another six, indicating that he is perfectly placed for a quick century. However in the next delivery he mistimed a slower of Mehedi Hasan Rana to give a catch at long-off where Shanto held it with perfect judgment and celebrated with wild dance.

Narine’s onslaught gave Comilla 72 runs in the first six overs but Barishal then took the control of the match gradually.

Mujeeb came back to his second spell to take the wicket of Faf du Plessis for 4 and in doing so gave Comilla a massive setback as they looked destined for a big total.

Dwayne Bravo got rid of Comilla captain Imrul Kayes for 12 and Mujeeb again struck to dismiss Ariful Haque for duck to cause further damage, leaving Comilla six down for 95 runs in the 11th over. After losing Narine’s wicket in the sixth over, Comilla could score only 26 runs for four wickets in the next five overs.

Moeen Ali and Abu Haider Rony then resisted and put on 54-run for the seventh wicket to propel the side past 150. Moeen hit two fours and one six for his 32 ball-38 before being run out in the last over while Rony made 19.

Comilla might have scored some more runs but they lost three wickets in the last over, bowled by Shafiul Islam to be contended with 151.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Shafiqul Islam took two wickets apiece while Bravo, Shakib and Rana claimed one wicket each.