Tharanga, Sylhet continue impressive run

Home team Sylhet Sixers won their second consecutive match in BPL 2017 as they beat Comilla Victorians by four wickets at Sylhet International Cricket stadium Sunday. Chasing the target of 146, Sylhet lost wickets in the middle stages but eventually triumphed with just one ball to spare. Sylhet openers Andre Fletcher and Upul Tharanga once again gave their side a good start. They formed a 73-run partnership within 8.3 overs before Fletcher got out scoring 36 off 29 balls. But Tharanga batted well at the other end and picked up his second fifty in as many games. He lost his wicket in the last ball of the 14th over while taking a quick single.Comilla spinner Rashid Khan later took the vital wicket of Sylhet captain Nasir Hossain (18) and the match was getting close. Wicket-keeper Liton Das made a sharp stumping behind the wicket to account for the dismissal of Nasir. In the last over of the game, 10 runs were still needed. Comilla pacer Dwayne Bravo picked up a wicket in the first ball of the over, rattling the stumps of No 6 batsman Shuvagata Hom. The next batsman for Sylhet, Nurul Hasan Sohan, then struck a sixer in the very next ball and swung the match in favour of the home side. The ball went high and deep but long-on fielder Rashid missed a relatively tough catch and it went for a maximum. Eventually Sylhet reached their target by the skin of their teeth. Bravo took two wickets for Comilla.Earlier, Nasir yet again won the toss and elected to field. Comilla’s icon player Tamim Iqbal did not participate in the match due to injury. Afghanistan recruit Mohammad Nabi was elected captain of Comilla. And like the opening game of the tournament, Nasir once again opened the bowling for his team and gave the first break through in the fifth over. Comilla opener Imrul Kayes was cleaned up for 12 with the scoreboard reading 36. Sylhet spinner Taijul Islam went on to take two important wickets, those other opener Liton (21) and explosive batsman Jos Buttler (two). No 3 batsman Marlon Samuels then played a sensible innings and carried his team to a respectable total. But as soon as Samules got out after scoring 60, Comilla failed to score quick runs in the death overs but still managed to post a decent total of 145 for the loss of six wickets.Samuels’ 60-run innings was composed with two fours and three sixes. The veteran Alok Kapali was the second highest scorer with 26. Sylhet seamer Krishmar Santokie and Taijul bagged two wickets each.BRIEF SCORESylhet Sixers 148/6 in 19.5 overs (Tharanga 51, Fletcher 36) beat Comilla Victorians 145/6 (Samuels 60, Taijul 2/22) by four wickets WHAT THEY SAIDComilla captain Mohammad NabiWe were short by 10-15 runs. If Marlon Samuels and I were at the crease till the 20th over, we could have scored 160. We didn’t bowl in the right areas in the first 10 overs, which is why they started well. In the last over, we dropped the catch which was the turning point of the match. It is a proud moment for me to become captain, since there were so many big players in the team. We are missing Tamim [Iqbal] a lot as an opening batsman, he is obviously an important player and very often gave good start for the team.Sylhet captain Nasir HossainFeeling good as a captain. In this team, every player knows what to do. And there is Upul Tharanga in the team from which I can take advice. So I am enjoying my captaincy. Good start for us as we won both matches. There is no big or small teams in T20 cricket. Maybe we don’t have that many big name players. But players have good understanding among them. If one or two players play big innings then it is possible to win matches. Although the match was close in the end as we did not bat well in the middle stage, I had the belief that we will win.