Forde, Jaker hand Comilla thrilling win

Defending champions Comilla Victorians picked up their first win in this Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), defeating Fortune Barishal by four wickets at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium yesterday.

Barishal's erroneous fielding effort and poor death bowling saw the Tamim Iqbal-led side succumb to their second successive defeat.

Barishal started well with the ball after putting on 161 for nine as Dunith Wellalage picked up Mohammad Rizwan and Towhid Hridoy off back-to-back deliveries in the fourth over before taking Liton Das's scalp soon after. Former skipper of Comilla, Imrul Kayes kept up his side's hope till the 16th over with a 41-ball 52 and once he departed young Jaker Ali Anik hit some lusty blows to make the target achievable. Comilla were also helped by Barishal's fielding as Khushdil Shah was dropped twice. Matthew Forde hit a six and a four in the final over, with 13 required, to give Comilla the victory.

Earlier, Soumya Sarkar gave Barishal the momentum after the loss of wickets within the Powerplay. He particularly took on the spinners even as it appeared that he had to muscle a few to the boundary. Mushfiqur Rahim held his own, too, and the duo put on 66 off 45 deliveries in the fourth-wicket stand before Soumya perished to a Mustafizur Rahman slower yorker, out bowled after a 31-ball 42. Mushfiqur continued his form, hitting a 44-ball 62 before he fell in the final over as Barishal managed 161 for nine. Mushfiqur, in the process, crossed the 3000-run mark as the second batter in the tournament's history.