Mohammad Nabi's bowling efforts helped Chittagong to a winning start © Getty
After persistent cyclonic rains had ushered Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2016 to a false start last week, the tournament truly began today with a clean slate, after teams were convinced to bequeath their shared points to help achieve that.
Tamim Iqbal hit Mashrafe Mortaza for a boundary off the second ball of the match, signalling Chittagong Vikings' intent that was brilliantly backed up by their bowling unit. Mohammad Nabi, the allrounder from Afghanistan, struck twice in his first two overs - nabbing Liton Das and Azhar Zaidi - and eventually built up to figures of 4 for 23, in what was a Man-of-the-Match bowling performance in a fancy 29-run win.
Defending 162, Dwayne Smith made up for his batting no-show with an early wicket, nabbing Imrul Kayes as early as the third over. Another big-hitting batsman from the West Indies, Marlon Samuels, instead looked fluent in his 18-ball stay, but much like always, had an ill-timed dismissal that followed the only maximum he hit during the fluid 23 runs he scored.
At 36 for 2, Nabi's doublet of wickets followed and Comilla Victorians were reeling at 58 for 4 inside 10 overs. The chase, yielding in instalments, was landed a death blow when Mashrafe Mortaza lost his stumps to Tymal Mills, the fast bowler from England who defied warnings from the Professional Cricketers' Association (PCA) to participate in the tournament. Taskin Ahmed, returning from a bowling rehabilitation, followed up with Imad Wasim's wicket next over and a loss for the Victorians looked undeniable, then and there. Nazmul Hossain Shanto's 42-ball fifty proved to be a mere consolation in a losing cause.
Earlier, having been put in to bat first, Chittagong Vikings were off to a steady start. Tamim Iqbal injected the necessary impetus with an aggressive 32-ball fifty. He was dropped on 23 by Nahidul Islam off Imad Wasim, but the bowler redeemed two balls later, only that it was Dwayne Smith who holed out to long-on.
What followed was a brisk 44-run stand for the second wicket between Tamim Iqbal and Anamul Haque - a partnership that succumbed to a tragic run-out - Liton Das's throw found both batsmen at the same end. Anamul tailgated Tamim back into the dressing room soon after, ironically surrendering to another run-out that threatened to rob all the built momentum, only to be denied by Shoaib Malik.
Malik, the 34-year old Pakistani batsman, with Jahurul Islam for company, stitched an unbeaten 60-run stand, finding gaps and hitting big shots in the slog overs. The fourth-wicket pair helped Vikings post 161, a score that was at best par on a ground with short straight boundaries, a score that proved to be sufficient in the end.
Brief scores: Chittagong Vikings 161/3 in 20 overs (Tamim Iqbal 54, Shoaib Malik 42*; Imad Wasim 1-22) beat Comilla Victorians 132/8 in 20 overs (Nazmul Hossain Shanto 54*, Marlon Samuels 23; Mohammad Nabi 4-24) by 29 runs.
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