Kulasekara, Zaidi lead Comilla in low-scoring win

Thursday, 26 November 2015 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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ESPNCricinfo: There was no low-scoring drama, neither any Al-Amin Hossain magic as Barisal Bulls succumbed to Comilla Victorians’ bowling class. Nuwan Kulasekara and Ashar Zaidi took three wickets each as Comilla picked up their second win, by eight wickets.

Barisal’s 89 all out is now the lowest total batting first in the BPL. The previous was the 99 for 9 Duronto Rajshahi made against Chittagong Kings in 2013, a game which they ended up winning by two runs. There was no such luck for Barisal as only Kevon Cooper, Rony Talukdar and Sabbir Rahman reached double-figures.

Kulasekara removed Shahriar Nafees and Brendan Taylor with his second and fourth deliveries, both edging to wicketkeeper Dhiman Ghosh, before the Barisal captain Mahmudullah had his stumps cleaned up by left-arm pacer Abu Hider. He also removed a swinging and slogging Talukdar soon after, and then it was Zaidi’s turn to use his double-paced left-arm spin to good effect.

Off successive deliveries he removed Sabbir, to a brilliant catch by Dhiman taking the under-edge, and a rather generous Seekkuge Prasanna who slogged the first ball down long-on’s throat. Cooper, who top-scored with 22, added 20 runs for the eighth wicket with Taijul Islam. Kulasekara jagged one back at Cooper to take his third to go with Zaidi’s three.

Comilla lost Imrul Kayes early, again, when he holed out to midwicket after miscuing a pull off Al-Amin in the fourth over.

Mahmudul Hasan and Marlon Samuels then put together a 37-run stand avoiding a top-order collapse. Taijul dropped Mahmudul in the fifth over off his own bowling, and was eventually dismissed in the 13th over when his team required 30 to win. He made 31 off 43 balls with the help of four boundaries.

Despite the loss of wickets, the contest remained a cruise for Comilla, rather than the choppy waters faced by Sylhet Superstars in the previous night.

Chief Scores: Comilla Victorians 90 for 2 (Mahmudul 31, Samuels 23*) beat Barisal Bulls 89 (Kulasekara 3-8, Zaidi 3-16) by eight wickets