Pakistan recruit Khushdil Shah hammered abrutal 24 ball-64 as defending champions Comilla Victorians recorded a hat-trick of victory with a 33-run win over Dhaka Dominators at Zahur AhmedChowdhury Stadium on Thursday.
Thanks to Khushdil's powerful knock which included seven fours and fivesixes, Comilla posted a massive 184-5, a score that their bowlers defendedcomfortably by restricting Dhaka to 151-4.
Comilla's another Pakistan recruit Mohammad Rizwan contributed 55 not outwhich came off 47 balls and with a meager strike rate of 117. That could havemade a bad impact but Khushdil who was dismissed at the penultimate over,made up his celebrated compatriot's slow knock with aggressive innings.
It was Comilla's third straight victory after a hat-trick of defeat in thefirst three matches. The reigning champions indeed won all of their threematches in Chattogram and it put them in to the third spot in the pointtable.
Opener Liton Das who played two match-winning knocks in the last two matcheswas dismissed for second-ball-duck after Comilla were asked to bat first.Rizwan and captain ImrulKayes shared 47-run for the second wicket standwhich was dominated largely by Kayes, who made 33 off 26 with three fours andtwo sixes.
Rizwan then added another 40 with Johnson Charles (20) before Khushdil joinedhim and turned the game impeccably. The duo indeed combined for an 84-run forthe fourth wicket and took the game away from Dhaka. Such was Khuhdil'simpact that Rizwan contributed just 20 runs in the partnership.
Taskin Ahmed, captain Nasir Hossain, Mohammad Imran and Soumya Sarkar tookone wicket apiece for Dhaka.
Nasir Hossain also top-scored for the side with 45 ball-66 not out whichstudded with seven fours and two sixes.
Chasing a mammoth target on slow pitch, Chattogram received a major setbackin the second over, as Soumya Sarkar continued his bad patch, being caughtout by Charles off Hasan Ali for duck.
Bangladeshi born England batter Robin Das also got duck in the immediate nextover, bowled by Tanvir Islam as Dhaka were left to 12-2. The situationcompounded after the dismissal of Ahmed Shehzad for 19 in the first ballafter the first powerplay.Captain Nasir Hossain and Mohammad Mithun shared 51-run but lacked the pacethat needed to gun down such big target. Mosaddek Hossain Saikat brokethrough with the wicket of Mithun after he made 36 off 34. But the asking runrate was increased to suchextent that Dhaka's defeat was ensured long beforethe official end of the game.
The 66-run partnership of Nasir and Ariful Haque for the unbeaten fifthwicket only reduced the margin. Haque was not out on 24.
For Comilla, Hasan Ali, Tanvir Islam and Mosaddek Hossain claimed one wicketeach.
The defeat meant Dhaka languished at the bottom of the table with just onewin from five matches.
