CHATTOGRAM, Bangladesh, CMC – Chadwick Walton’s whirlwind half-century lifted leaders Chattogram Challengers to their fifth win in six outings as they beat Comilla Warriors by 16 runs in the Bangladesh Premier League here yesterday.
Sent in at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Challengers crested the 200-run mark for the second straight outing, finishing on 238 for four off their 20 overs.
At the centre of the effort was Walton’s aggressive innings, the West Indies right-hander blasting 71 not out from 27 balls with five fours and half-dozen sixes in a superb Man-of-the-Match innings.
Batting at number four, he raced to his 13th Twenty20 half-century off just 22 deliveries with three fours and four sixes, while captain Imrul Kayes chipped in with 62 and opener Avishka Fernando, 48.
Wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan then struck a punishing 15-ball unbeaten 29 as Challengers ended strongly.
West Indies opener Lendl Simmons fell cheaply for 10 with the score on 21 in the third over but Kayes and Fernando dominated in a 85-run, second wicket stand to put Challengers on top.
When three wickets fell for 33 runs in the space of 24 balls as Challengers slumped to 139 for four in the 15th over, Walton came to the rescue in a 99-run, unbroken fifth wicket partnership with Nurul.
In reply, Warriors threw everything at a difficult run chase to end on 222 for seven off their 20 overs with England’s Dawid Malan top-scoring with 84 off 38 balls.
They were initially going nowhere at 32 for three in the fourth over before Malan put on 58 for the fourth wicket with Yasir Ali (21) and a further 62 for the fifth wicket with captain Dasun Shanka (37)
Malan counted seven fours and five sixes before finally falling in the 15th over.
