Magnificent Mahmudullah ministers Dhaka to massive win over high-flying Comilla

Mahmudullah led from the front with a scintillating knock as Minister Dhaka recorded their second consecutive win and moved up to number two in the points table. They beat Comilla Victorians by a massive margin of 50 runs in Chattogram. It was Comilla's first defeat in the ongoing Bangabandhu Bangladesh Premier League. 

Mahmudullah delivered an award-winning performance and it was backed up by Tamim Iqbal's 46 and Andre Russell's three-for. Mahmudul Hasan Joy played well but it was too big a total for Comilla.

Mustafizur Rahman was given the new ball from one end and immediately found success as he pinned Mohammad Shahzad leg-before in the second over of the match. Nahidul Islam remained economical again inside the powerplay but Tamim Iqbal and Imranuzzanan did not fail to pounce on loose deliveries. Dhaka were 47 for one at the end of the powerplay.

Imranuzzaman was knocked over by Karim Janat in the 8th over. Tamim, who racked up a sensational hundred in the previous match, looked in good touch and added 30 with Mahmudullah before throwing his wicket away in the 11th over. Tamim made 46 off 35. His innings was studded with two boundaries and three over boundaries. They were 85 for three when the southpaw departed. 

The batters coming in next - Shuvagata Hom, Andre Russell and Mohammad Naim - could not quite stay in the middle for a long time. But Mahmudullah played a captain's knock, occupying one end. He did not hang about despite keeping on losing his partners. The right-hander scored heavily all around the ground and took a particular liking to the fast bowlers. 

Karim Janat consumed two sixes in the 20th over and was taken out of the attack for bowling a second beamer. The over was completed by Shohidul Islam. 20 came off the final over. 

Mahmudullah flicked and pulled the ball superbly and most of his runs came through the midwicket region. He top-scored for Dhaka with 70 not out off just 41 balls. His innings involved three fours and four sixes. His innings was the prime reason why Dhaka scored 103 runs in the second half of the innings and post 181 for six after 20. Mustafizur and Nahidul were the bowlers who could keep their economy rate under nine-an-over.

In reply, lack of substantial partnerships was what hurt the Comilla team. There was just one big partnership between Mahmudul Hasan Joy and skipper Imrul Kayes of 70 runs for the third wicket but apart from that, there was almost nothing from the other batters. 

Joy put on an exhibition of superb precision and placement especially inside the powerplay but his 30-ball-46 was not enough for the Comilla team to chase down a massive target. Russell sent back both the well-set batters - Joy and Imrul [28 off 23] - in the 11th over and that was the turning point. 

Karim Janat and Ariful Haque tried to up the ante but it was not going to be enough as they fell well short of the target. Comilla were all-out in 17.3 overs after scoring 131. Russell picked up three while Ebadot Hossain and Qais Ahmed took two each.