DHAKA, Bangladesh, CMC – The highly touted West Indies triumvirate of Andre Russell, Sunil Narine and Kieron Pollard all failed when it mattered most, as opener Tamim Iqbal’s splendid unbeaten hundred propelled Comilla Victorians to the Bangladesh Premier League title, upsetting heavily favoured Dhaka Dynamites by 17 runs in yesterday’s final.
Sent in, Victorians marched to 199 for three off their 20 overs, with the left-handed Tamim blasting an amazing, unbeaten 141 off 61 balls.
He belted 10 fours and 11 sixes, easing to his half-century off 31 balls before storming to three figures off another 19 deliveries. Tamim reached his landmark with a four to the mid-wicket ropes off pacer Russell in the 17th over.
West Indies left-hander Evin Lewis perished cheaply for six in the second over with the score on nine but his partner Tamim took charge of the innings, posting 89 for the second wicket with Anamul Haque (24) and a further 100 in an unbroken fourth wicket partnership with Imrul Kayes (17 not out).
Russell went wicket-less from four overs which cost 37 runs while off-spinner Narine, even though economical in four overs for 18 runs, also failed to take a wicket.
In reply, Dhaka made a fist of it but were restricted to 182 for nine off their 20 overs, with Rony Talukdar top-scoring with 66 from 38 deliveries and opener Upul Tharanga supporting with 48 from 27 balls.
Narine failed to conjure up one of his usual flying starts, run out off the second ball of the innings without scoring going for a quick single but Talukdar and Tharanga put on 102 for the second wicket to steady the innings.
However, once Tharanga holed out to long on in the ninth over, the innings went into decline as left-arm seamer Wahab Riaz (3-28) and pacer Thisara Perera (2-35) wrecked middle and lower order. Russell made just four before miscuing one from Perera to mid-off in the 14th over and Pollard spent 15 balls over 13 before holing out to long on with Wahab.
