Tamim leads Chittagong to fifth consecutive win

Tamim Iqbal withstood Khulna Titans' efficient bowling attack to guide Chittagong Vikings to their fifth win in a row. The Chittagong captain was unbeaten on 66 off 59 balls which included eight fours and one six.

The five-wicket win, with eight balls to spare, put them on 12 points, level with Dhaka Dynamites and Khulna Titans.

Chittagong had suffered a top-order collapse after Chris Gayle fell in the fifth over. Anamul Haque and Shoaib Malik were run out before Zakir Hasan was stumped in the 11th over, thus reducing Chittagong to 64 for 4, after being comfortably placed at 39 for no loss in the fifth over.

Tamim and Jahurul Islam stopped the rot with a 37-run fifth-wicket stand before the latter gave short midwicket a simple catch after making 22. He left when Chittagong needed 31 off the last four overs. Jahurul fell but soon Tamim reached his fourth fifty in this season's BPL.

Tamim survived on 24 when Shuvagata Hom dropped him at mid-off after a miscommunication with Alok Kapali, who was running in from cover. Shuvagata also dropped a chance, offered by Mohammad Nabi on one, in the 18th over, running in from long off.

Nabi finished the chase with two consecutive fours in the penultimate over, ending up on 17 not out off eight balls.

But it was chiefly Chittagong's bowlers who, for the third consecutive game, gave them a strong platform. This time it was Imran Khan and Taskin Ahmed who were among the wickets, with support from Nabi, Subashis Roy and Saqlain Sajib.

Imran removed the in-form Riki Wessels at the start and the dangerous Kevon Cooper in the slog overs, apart from his direct hit that dismissed Ariful Haque. Taskin took the big wicket of Mahmudullah - who top scored with 42 - and Nicholas Pooran in the final over.