Dynamites win opener in BPL

Dhaka Dynamites showed a firm determination in securing a six-wicket victory over Comilla Victorians in their opening and the 2nd match of BPL-2015 at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in the capital yesterday. In a surface that got slower as the time progressed, Dhaka Dynamites, a team owned by the country’s leading business conglomerate Beximco Limited, came up with an unwavering resolve in batting unlike Comilla Victorians in the low-scoring match. The Dynamites bowlers set up the victory by restricting Victorians to a moderate total of 110 for eight after which the batsmen batted purposefully to help the side get over the line with four balls to spare. Nasir Hossain sealed the deal with boundary off Mashrafe Bin Mortaza. Dynamites’ Pakistan recruit Nasir Jamshed led the batting, hitting a run-a-ball 44, while captain Kumar Sangakkara was as usually compact in his 25.
Victorians captain Mashrafe gave Dynamites an uncomfortable moment initially and reaped the rewards of his good bowling, taking out Shamshur Rahman Shuvo (19) but Jamshed and Sangakkara took the side closer, combing for 55 runs in the second wicket stand. Victorians clawed back, removing both of them in three overs and stretched the game to the last over by displaying a better effort in bowling, complemented by imaginative fielding set by Mashrafe. However, the Dynamites won the match due to the firm determination of its batsmen.
Earlier, in a gem of bowling, the Dynamites bowlers lived up to their reputation of well-balanced bowling attack, comprised with the likes of Mustafizur Rahman, Yasir Shah and Mosharraf Hossain Rubel. Fast bowler Abul Hasan Raju was the unlikely hero, claiming three for 29 to be the most successful bowler. Mosharraf Hossain Rubel snapped up two for 15 while Pakistan leg-spinner Yasir Shah though went wicket-less, gave away just 14 runs.
Yasir, who had demolished England batting line up in UAE just a fortnight ago, at times was unplayable for the Victorians’ batsmen in a surface that was holding the ball a bit. The Dynamites’ bowlers dazzled in tandem, cutting the half of the Victorians batting within just 36 runs to raise a prospect of bowling out the opponent below 100. No batsmen of Victorians’ top five could reach double digit figures. It was Mahmudul Hasan Limon, the former U-19 captain who steadied the ship with patient 22 and then Mashrafe helped the side propel past 100, aided by West Indian recruit Krishmer Santokie.