The only unbeaten side in the Bangabandhu Bangladesh Premier League Twenty20 2022, Comilla Victorians rose to the top of the six-team standing after their second consecutive win, against Fortune Barishal in Mirpur Tuesday.
The Victorians romped to victory by 63 runs at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium against third-placed Barishal, who tasted their second defeat in three games.
The league will now go into a two-day break before resuming in the port city of Chittagong Friday when the home team Chattogram Challengers will take on Khulna Tigers in the afternoon game before Sylhet Sunrisers and Minister Group Dhaka face each other in the evening.
In the last match of the first phase, Comilla were asked to bat first as they put up 158 losing seven wickets in their 20 overs, riding on opener Mahmudul Hasan Joy's 35-ball 48, laced with half a dozen fours and a six, and a flashy unbeaten 16-ball 29 from Afghan Karim Janat.
Barishal's Windies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo bagged three wickets while captain Shakib al Hasan picked up two.
In reply, Barishal's innings never really got going as they lost wickets at regular intervals with only three batters - Nazmul Hossain Shanto (36), Towhid Hridoy (19) and Nurul Hasan (17) - reaching double digit.
The Comilla bowlers were all over the Barishal batters with player of the match Nahidul Islam leading the way.
The off-spinner only gave away five runs in his quota of four overs, and bagged three wickets, including Shakib (one) and the dangerous Chris Gayle (seven).
Janat, Shahidul Islam and Tanvir Islam took two each for Comilla.
