BPL 2015 Match#20: Comilla Victorians Vs Chittagong Vikings Played at ZACS on 3 December 2015

Comilla Victorians 142/5 (Ahmed Shehzad 37, Imrul Kayes 35, Shoaib Malik 34*, Mohammad Amir 2/22) beat Chittagong Vikings 136/5 (Umar Akmal 49*, TM Dilshan 39, Tamim Iqbal 27) by 5 Wickets

Player of the Match: Shoaib Malik (Comilla Victorians)

He did not ball, neither was he required to bowl, yet he was man behind the team achieving yet another win against Chittagong Vikings in front of their cheering home crowd. He is Mashrafe, the enigmatic captain courageous. Comilla Victorians put the last nail in Vikings coffin. Their mission BPL 2015 is all but over. The last two matches at Dhaka will be to redeem to salvage some pride for them only as they managed only two wins from 8 matches.

Comilla winning 5 from 7 is now back to the top spot in the point table. Batting first Vikings could post a below par score of 136/5 in allotted overs. Victorians overhauled the target scoring 142/5 with two balls to spare. Another match went down to wire causing heart break to the home fans. Vikings desperately required winning the match but they lost to the better team of the day on all accounts.

Comilla Victorians does not have many big names in their team. Two quality international players have just joined and in their second appear they delivered in a tight match. When they got Mashrafe in the lottery as Icon a shallow knowledge team officials thought they required an all-rounder like Shakib! The person who led Bangladesh national team to historic wins against top teams of the world was under estimated. He is not match fit yet his irresistible thirst for playing keeps him going. The day he could not bowl. But he marshaled his resources like a champion. He was not required to bat. Yet he was moving like a caged tiger in the dugout at the crunch moments. His charges won yet another tight match and this time against the team playing in front of the home crowd.

The sky was overcast and the wicket retained some moisture from rain during the afternoon match. Winning the toss and bowling was the logical decision. Mashrafe straight away handed the ball to Shoaib Malik when Tamim opened with Dilshan. This pair was fresh from a record setting opening partnership. But Shoaib troubled Tamim and from the other end Kulasekera also caused worries. But the pair picked up from where they left and were cruising.

Mashrafe plotted his plan B. He introduced Ashar Zaidi and Shuvagata Hom to buy wickets when Tamim and Dilshan pair was meandering merrily. Immediately it brought success. Suvagata removed Tamim and Zaidi accounted for Dilshan and in between Anamul ran himself out. Suddenly from 51/0 Vikings decimated to 73/3 between 7th to 13th over. Bowling changes and field placing were meticulous. Mashrafe knew how desperate Vikings were for winning the match and he put the brakes and did not allow them to take liberty at all. Victorians bowled exceptionally well as prescribed by Doctor Mashrafe. Vikings could crawl to 136/5. Two of the five wickets that fell were smartly run out.

Victorians in response had to deal with the deadly hot pace of Amir, Taskin and Bilwal. Shakib and Sunny were also turning viciously. The match went down to wire. Imrul Kayes (35) and Ahmed Shehzad (37) delivered at the top and experienced Shoaib (34*) held his nerve at business session to take the team across in the last over with only two balls to spare. Chittagong Vikings with a very strong team could not win more than two out of eight matches they played so far. They even lost three of the four matches they played on their own backyard over the last four days.

Mashrafe must relax and rest from the remaining two matches of the first round to give his knees the much needed healing time for business session. He is too precious a resource for Cricket to risk collapsing.

BDST: 0954 HRS, DEC 04, 2015
SR