DHAKA, Bangladesh, CMC – Johnson Charles’s top score played a key role as Comilla Victorians brushed aside Dhaka Dominators by 60 runs, and climbed to third in the Bangladesh Premier League standings here yesterday.
The 34-year-old right-hander struck 32 from 25 deliveries, helping Victorians to 164 for six from their 20 overs after they were sent in at the Shere Bangla National Stadium.
Khushdil Shah lashed a 17-ball 30 at number six while captain Imrul Kayes chipped in with 28 from 22 balls in the top order.
In reply, Dominators folded cheaply for 104 for nine off their allotted overs. Usman Ghani was the only player to pass 20 with 33 from 34 balls as 19-year-old Pakistan Test seamer Naseem Shah dismantled the run chase with four for 12.
Victorians’ win was their fourth in seven outings while Dominators lost for the sixth time in seven matches to be bottom of the seven-team league on two points.
Mohammad Rizwan perished cheaply for three with the score on four in the third over as Victorians stumbled early but a series of small partnerships saw the innings recover.
Imrul struck five fours in a 31-run, second-wicket stand with Litton Das (20) before adding a further 29 with Charles for the third wicket.
Charles, who lashed a four and two sixes, then put on a further 29 for the fourth wicket with Mosaddek Hossain (9) before Khushdi blasted two fours and two sixes in a 34-run, unbroken seventh wicket partnership with Jaker Ali (20 not out), to rally the back end of the innings.
Dominators’ run chase was rocked early when Naseem struck twice to send the innings tumbling to 16 for three in the fifth over before Usman and captain Nasir Hossain (17) attempted a rescue courtesy of a 26-run, fourth wicket partnership.
Man-of-the-Match Khushdil returned to haunt Dominators, breaking the stand with his left-arm spin when he removed Hossain in the ninth over and wickets tumbled steadily thereafter to derail the challenge.