Tanvir four-for helps Comilla end losing streak

Comilla Victorians ended a string of five successive losses with a 32-run victory over Rajshahi Kings. The defending champions scored their highest total while batting first in this season, to give their bowlers enough of a cushion to bowl in a match that took more than four hours to finish.

Sohail Tanvir's four-wicket haul paved the way for Comilla's successful defence as Mashrafe Mortaza relied heavily on pace bowlers because of dew on the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium outfield.

Rajshahi's 153-run chase was derailed as early as the fifth over when Tanvir removed Junaid Siddique and Sabbir Rahman off successive deliveries. Mohammad Saifuddin then removed Umar Akmal and Nurul Hasan, while Mominul Haque battled to time the ball at the other end.

Mominul started off with a six over long-on, the first of the match, before hitting four boundaries until the end of the ninth over. His fifth four brought up his half-century in a chaotic 11-ball over from Ryan ten Doeschate that cost 19 runs. Mominul fell at the end of that over, having made 53 off 43 balls.

Khalid Latif ran out Sammy off the next ball, and Rajshahi were left panicking without their main hitter. When Mashrafe Mortaza bowled Samit Patel in the 17th over, Comilla finally began to smell a win.

Tanvir completed his four-wicket haul with two dismissals in the 18th over before Saifuddin finished off the game with a yorker.

Earlier Nazmul Hossain Shanto top-scored for Comilla with 41 off 40 balls, a knock that included four foursImrul Kayes' 25-ball 34 looked promising as he was timing the ball better, but a direct hit from substitute fielder Nazmul Islam had him inches short of the crease in the 15th over.

Comilla struck only two fours in the last five overs, despite the fact that Rajshahi were not at their best with the ball, giving away extras. However, Rajshahi did prevent Comilla from hitting a single six in the innings, only the fourth such occasion in the BPL.