Ton-up Lewis shapes Victorians victory
Wahab Riaz dismantles Titans with a credible hat-trick
Sports Reporter from Chattogram
Evin Lewis scintillating hundred was complemented by Wahab Riazs brilliant hat-trick as Comilla Victorians flattened Khulna Titans with a comprehensive 80-run win in the high-scoring thriller of the fourth leg of the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram yesterday.
With this outstanding victory, Comilla emerged top on the points-chart from fourth place, leapfrogging Rangpur Riders, Dhaka Dynamites and Chittagong Vikings. They matched their points with Vikings but they went to top due to their better net run-rate.
Khulna Titans, on the other hand, remained rooted to rock-bottom in the points table with just four points from 11 matches.
Titans made a good start to make the steep chase of 237 set by Comilla Victorians as they put on 50 runs for the opening wickets before the exit of Zunaid Siddique, who struck 27 off 24 with four boundaries and a six.
Opener Brendan Taylor then tried to build up another big partnership with David Malan and Mahmudullah Riyad but leg-spinner Shahid Afridi sent the latter duo back to the pavilion in the space of 16 runs.
Riyad, who continued his poor form agonizingly, holed out for 11 having bowled after Malan went for 13.
This time Titans wicketkeeper-batsman, Taylor together with Carlos Brathwaite attempted to tackle the batting collapse and rotate the strike but Afridi once again turned to be the pick as the veteran made his third prey of Taylor with his cunning delivery.
The experienced Zimbabwean batsman top-scored for Titans with 50 off 33, clobbering five fours and one six. With the pace of his departure, Titans kept losing their wickets at regular intervals and that its a matter of time for the end of their innings.
Therefore, Brathwaite and Nazmul Hossain Shanto, who the last batsmen fell for double-figure mark, made the inevitably of the defeat as they went in the gap of just one run while the scoreboard reading on 144.
Pakistani fast bowler Wahab Riaz nailed the screws last in the Titans innings when he removed David Wiese, Taijul Islam and Mohammad Saddam to put up his credible hat-trick that restricted Titans to 157.
Wahab Riazs hat-trick was second in 2019 BPL after Dhaka Dynamites Aliss Al Islam, who slammed the feat against Rangpur Riders on his BPL debut. Overall, it was fifth hat-trick. Earlier, Al Amin Hossain of Barishal Burners and Mohammad Sami of Duronto Rajshahi inserted their names in BPL history with their accomplishments. Sami among them hit it twice.
Afridi and Riaz snapped up three wickets apiece for the 2015 BPL champions.
Earlier, Comilla Victorians rode on Evin Lewis unbeaten 109 compiled an inclusive 237 for five in their stipulated 20 overs, the total that is the second highest in BPL folklore though they had opportunity to surpass the record of 239 made by Rangpur Riders.
West Indian hard-hitter Evin Lewis got off to a solid start with Tamim Iqbal after being put in to bat first on batting paradise.
Mahmudullah Riyad removed Tamim Iqbal and Anamul Haque Bijoy, who chipped in with duck, with double strikes but Lewis kept them on track to put on a big total on the board. Tamim clouted for 25.
Together with Imrul Kayes, Lewis hit 97 runs for the third-wicket stand that crossed the 150-run mark. Kayes, who captained Victorians in the match, clattered 39 before being trapped lbw by Shoriful Islam. He hit two sixes and four boundaries.
They then mislaid Thisara Perera and Shahid Afridi inside 16 overs while they were at 178 for five. Later Lewis partnered with Shamshur Rahman and late fire scored 237. Shamshur Rahman made an unbeaten cameo 15-ball 28 with two sixes and a four.
Lewis on the other hand clouted hundred as the fourth batsman after Laurie Evans, Rilee Rossouw and Alex Hales. It was his second hundred in BPL. Overall, it is 15th hundred in BPL struck by 12 batsmen. Of them, Chris Gayle hammered five times and Lewis twice.
Lewis completed his century from 47 balls and finally he remained unbeaten on 109 off 49, laden with 10 massive sixes and five fours. He was named for the player-of-the-match for his spellbinding knock.
