A win at last for Comilla

Six matches. It took the reigning champions of the Bangladesh Premier League six matches to get off the mark. Comilla Victorians skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza will hope that their 32-run win over the Rajshahi Kings in Chittagong yesterday can help change the course of their luck so far.

Just like every other game, Comilla decided to tinker with their squad again yesterday when they let Nazmul Hossain Shanto and Khalid Latif open the innings. They also dropped Rashid Khan and brought in Ryan Ten Doeschate.

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The changes seemed to click for Comilla as Nazmul laid the foundation with a composed 41 off 40 balls. Unfortunately while trying to hit big shots, both Khalid Latif and Ahmed Shehzad departed by the seventh over.

The in-form Imrul Kayes joined Nazmuland he hit five fours during his 25-ball 34 and provided impetus to their innings.

However, Comilla were pushed back by the loss of three quick wickets in the span of four overs, leaving them at a precarious 111 for 5 by the 16th over. Ten Doeschate and Sohail Tanvir then joined hands to smack 41 runs in just 4.5 overs to steady the ship.

While Ten Doeschate hit 21 off 15, Tanvir hit a 15-ball 15. Their partnership helped Comilla finish on 152.

Comilla knew that with the dew factor at night, there was no room to relax. They needed to start well and that is exactly what they did when Sohail Tanvir removed both Junaid Siddique and Sabbir Rahman in the fifth over.

Mominul Haque was the only batsman who seemed comfortable as he repeatedly came down the track and kept pulling bowlers for boundaries and runs. He hit Mohammad Saifuddin for a boundary in the eighth and then drove Mohammad Sharif for two consecutive fours in the ninth over.

However, Kayes found no support and his side were sent packing for just 120.