Sri Lankan recruit Upul Tharanga brought up his second half-century in as many matches as Sylhet Sixers clinched its second straight victory in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) by securing a thrilling four-wicket win over Comilla Victorians yesterday at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.

Tharanga followed up his 69 not out with 40 ball-51 in the match to lay the platform but Sylhet still needs 10 runs in the last over to win which looked tougher against Dwayne Bravo, widely considered as deadly death over bowler. He almost made the victory realistic one for Victorians by disturbing the wicket of Shuvagata Hom with a slower in the first ball of the last over. Nurul Hasan Sohan still held his nerve and smacked the second ball over long-on to bring the victory in eye-sight. He then completed the victory with a boundary through short third man region as Sylhet overhauled the Victorians’ 145 for six, by making 148 for six in 19.5 overs. Sohan remained unbeaten on 11 off just three to ensure Tharanga’s good work wouldn’t go in vain.

After sharing 125-run in their nine-wicket victory over Dhaka Dynamites in the opening match, Tharanga and Andre Fletcher combined for a 73-run opening stand to raise the hope of another facile victory but to their dismay, Victorians hit back in the match with a flurry of wickets and stemming the run flow.

Bravo made the crucial breakthrough by dismissing Fletcher in ninth over after the latter hammered five fours and two sixes in his 36 off 29. Skipper and Afghanistan recruit Mohammad Nabi then removed Sabbir Rahman for 3 while Tharanga was run out on 51, a 40-ball innings studded by five fours and two sixes. Sixers suddenly found them in 102 for three from 73 for no loss.

Another Afghan recruit Rashid Khan, the highest wicket-taker so far in T20 International, then had Sixers captain Nasir Hossain stumped on 18 and returned figures of one for 18 in four overs. Rashid however gave away 12 runs in his first over but bounced back in style to stall the progress of Sixers.

Things looked minus when English recruit Ross Whiteley was run out on 10, leaving Sixers a need of 10 runs in the last over. However Nurul Hasan’s bold approach won the game for them at the end.

Marlon Samuels 47 ball-60 carried Victorians who made a slow start after being sent to bat first. Nasir Hossain opened the bowling and ended with a figure of one for 18 in his four overs to keep Victorians in check before left arm spinner Taijul Islam scythed down the middle order as he returned figures of two for 22.

Samuels came to the crease in the fifth over and batted before he was dismissed in the first ball of the last over. As the wickets were tumbling at other end, he made a slow start but gained the pace as the time progressed. He finally hit two fours and three sixes in his knock to help Comilla reach to a decent position in a tricky wicket. Alok Kapali was the other notable contributor with 19 ball-26.