Mushfiqur, Mosaddek lift Chittagong Vikings to top of BPL table
An unbroken fifth-wicket partnership of 88 steered the Vikings home after a 56-ball 74 from Laurie Evans had propelled Rajshahi Kings to 157
The Report by Mohammad Isam
23-Jan-2019
Mushfiqur Rahim plays a reverse-sweep • BCB
Chittagong Vikings 159 for 4 (Mushfiqur 64*, Mosaddek 43*, Arafat 3-22) beat Rajshahi Kings 157 for 5 (Evans 74, Jonker 36*, Khaled 2-30) by six wickets
How the game played out
Mushfiqur Rahim and Mosaddek Hossain took Chittagong Vikings to the top of the points table with a six-wicket win over Rajshahi Kings. Mushfiqur was unbeaten on 64 off 46 balls, while Mosaddek contributed an unbeaten 26-ball 43, as Vikings completed their chase of 158 with two balls to spare.
Mushfiqur and Mosaddek added 88 unbroken runs for the fifth wicket, after coming together in the 11th over with the Vikings in a spot of bother at 71 for four.
Put in to bat, the Kings had posted 157 for 5 courtesy a well-paced 56-ball 74 from Laurie Evans. His innings included eight fours and two sixes, and ended just as Christiaan Jonker got going in the last four overs, scoring an unbeaten 36 off 20.
Turning points
- For the second match in a row, the Kings finished their innings strongly, scoring 65 in their last four overs.
- When the Vikings needed 48 off 30, Mushfiqur and Mosaddek cracked three fours off Kamrul Islam Rabbi in a 15-run 16th over to ease the pressure.
Star of the day
Mushfiqur, who was playing against his former franchise, struck some well-timed reverse-hits among his six fours and two sixes. He also guided Mosaddek during their partnership, which could pay off in the Vikings' remaining matches.
The big miss
When Evans was on 28, Nayeem Hasan dropped a sitter he offered at deep fine leg. It was his second life after surviving a run-out opportunity in the second over when he had a comical mix-up with Soumya Sarkar.
Where the teams stand
While the Vikings move to the top of the table with their sixth win, the Kings remain on eight points after eight matches.
Mohammad Isam is ESPNcricinfo's Bangladesh correspondent. @isam84