Perera and Mushfiqur drive Barisal

Defending champions Comilla Victorians remain winless in the Bangladesh Premier League this season after losing their second match, this time to Barisal Bulls who got on the board with a six-wicket victory at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur. 

In chase of a modest 130 a pair of 30s by skipper Mushfiqur Rahim and Thisara Perera, who also combined for a fourth-wicket stand of 49 from just 4.5 overs, drove the Bulls home with nine balls to spare. 

It was shaping to be a difficult chase after a slow start that saw both Barisal openers Dilshan Munaweera and Shamsur Rahman dismissed by the 11th over with the score on 48. Dawid Malan's dismissal, caught by Comilla skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza off Mohammad Sharif, with the score on 69 and 12.4 overs already bowled, left Barisal needing 61 runs off 46 balls with two relatively new batsmen on a difficult pitch.

But Mushfiqur and Perera kept their cool, picking up singles and hitting the odd boundary. With 31 required from the last four overs, Mushfiqur and Perera hit a six each off the 17th over bowled by Imad Wasim, and the match had well and truly turned. Mushfiqur departed in the following over, edging behind to Sohail Tanvir for a 23-ball 33 which included two boundaries and two sixes. But by then the damage had been done, and Perera sealed the deal with two boundaries in the 19th over to remain unbeaten on 34 off 24 balls with a six and a four.  

Earlier, Sohail Tanvir’s cameo late in the innings enabled Comilla Victorians to post 129 for eight in 20 overs .

Comilla captain Mashrafe Mortaza won the toss and opted to bat first. Victorians were in trouble early as they lost both their openers inside four overs. West Indian Marlon Samuels stopped the rot, and scored 48 from 48 balls with five hits to the fence. At 6-73 in 14 overs, Comilla needed some quick runs, and they got some from their Pakistani recruit. Sohail Tanvir used the long handle and smashed 30 from only 19 balls.

Barisal Bulls captain Mushfiqur Rahim used five bowlers today, and all of them managed to pick up a wicket to peg back Comilla. Abu Hider took two for 34 while Rayad Emrit and Thisara Perera chipped in with a wicket each.