Record-maker Sunil Narine helped the Comilla Victorians to march to the final of the ongoing Bangabandhu Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) beating Chattogram Challengers by seven wickets on Wednesday.
Narine hit a fifty off 13 balls— fastest in BPL history— and played a pivotal role to chase down a target of 149 in just 12.4 overs with seven wickets in hand.
Narine ended up on 57 off 16 balls with five fours and six sixes.
Comilla lost Liton Das off the first ball of their innings to Shoriful Islam.
But off the next five balls, they scored 20 runs thanks to Narine who hit three fours and one six.
In the next over bowled by Mehidy Hasan Miraz, the West Indies all-rounder smashed three sixes and one four. At the end of the second over, Comilla were at 43 for one.
Chattogram bowlers failed to recover from their early disarray rendered by Narine. After Narine’s removal by Mrittunjoy Chowdhury, Imrul Kayes fell for 22 off 24 balls with three fours and one six.
In the fourth wicket stand, Faf du Plessis and Moeen Ali added 54 runs. Both remained unbeaten for 30 each. While Faf played 23 balls, Moeen faced 13 balls.
Earlier, Comilla restricted Chattogram Challengers in 148 for 10 in 19.1 overs in the second Qualifier.
Mehidy was the highest run getter for Chattogram with his 38 balls 44 with three fours and two sixes while Akbar Ali posted 33 off 20 balls with two fours and two sixes.
Will Jacks and Zakir Hasan made a good start to the innings when they posted 31 in 3.3 overs before losing Jacks to Shohidul Islam for 16 off 9 balls with two fours and one six. Zakir made 20 off 19 balls with four fours. He was set well before falling prey to Moeen Ali.
But the middle-order of Chattogram failed to do well as Chadwick Walton, Afif Hossain and Shamim Hossain fell for 2, 10 and a duck respectively. Zakir and Shamim were removed by Moeen off two consecutive deliveries.
Coming to bat at nine, Mrittunjoy posted 15 with two sixes before falling to Shohidul Islam after Abu Hider Rony takes a great catch at the deep.
For Comilla, Moeen Ali scalped three wickets conceding 20 runs in three overs while Shohidul also bagged three off 33 runs in three overs.
Now the Victorians will take on the Fortune Barishal in the final of this year’s BPL on February 18 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
Source: United News of Bangladesh