James Fuller took two wickets to limit Comilla to 154, a target that Barishal chased down in 19 overs.
Fortune Barishal, with scores of 157 for 4 (Mayers 46, Tamim 39; Moeen 2-28, Mustafizur 2-31), defeated Comilla Victorians, who scored 154 for 6 (Ankon 38, Russell 27*; Fuller 2-43), by six wickets.
Fortune Barishal marked their first 2024 Bangladesh Premier League title by proudly raising the trophy for the Mirpur crowd, securing a commanding six-wicket victory over the strong Comilla Victorians. Barishal’s bowlers provided a solid foundation, and with captain Tamim Iqbal and Kyle Mayers leading the way, they quickly chased down the target of 155.
Tamim Iqbal struck 39 off 26 balls to lead Fortune Barishal’s chase • Raton Gomes/BCB
Defeating Comilla, who have claimed the BPL title a record four times, including the last two seasons, required a standout performance. James Fuller delivered with the ball, claiming two critical wickets after Mayers had made an impact in the first over. Taijul Islam and Obed McCoy also contributed with tight spells, helping to limit Comilla to 154 for 6.
In response, Tamim Iqbal delivered a dazzling performance that captivated the enthusiastic crowd at the Shere Bangla National Stadium with a brisk 26-ball 39. His innings began with Mehidy Hasan Miraz hitting a six off the bowling of newcomer Rohanat Doullah Borson, setting the tone for an aggressive chase. Building on this momentum, Tamim took on Tanvir Islam, smashing him for consecutive sixes. This also saw him rise to the tournament’s leading run-scorer.
Miraz soon matched Tamim’s fireworks with a mighty six off Sunil Narine, keeping the scoreboard ticking. Not to be outdone, Tamim continued his assault, hitting Moeen Ali for a six followed by two boundaries. Despite his explosive innings, Tamim was eventually dismissed later in the over. However, he had already established a strong foundation by adding 76 runs for the opening wicket with Miraz, setting up a solid platform for the rest of the chase.
With the match nearing its climax, the responsibility to steer Barishal towards their maiden BPL title fell to Kyle Mayers. He played a pivotal role in the chase, demonstrating his prowess with the bat. Mayers struck five boundaries and launched two sixes, both of which came off the bowling of Andre Russell. Russell had a particularly expensive 15th over, in which he conceded 21 runs. Out of those, Mayers contributed 20 runs, showing his ability to capitalize on scoring opportunities. His innings concluded with a commendable 46 runs off 30 balls, playing a crucial part in Barishal’s pursuit of victory.
Comilla Victorians committed several fielding errors in the closing stages, missing crucial catches. Mahmudullah and David Miller then guided Barishal to victory, finishing the chase in the 19th over.
When Comilla was put in to bat first, Sunil Narine received an early reprieve when Obed McCoy dropped him at third man. However, McCoy made amends later in the over. Narine connected with a shot off his hips, but McCoy made a superb dive to his left, completing a fine catch at short fine-leg.
Fuller maintained the pressure by dismissing Towhid Hridoy and Litton Das in consecutive overs during the powerplay. Shortly after, McCoy got rid of Johnson Charles. Moeen Ali was then run out when Mehidy Hasan Miraz made a direct hit from point.
Mahidul Islam Ankon and Jaker Ali maintained Comilla’s momentum during the middle overs. Their partnership for the sixth wicket was instrumental, as they scored 36 runs, though it took them 29 balls to do so. This lengthy and steady partnership proved to be a strategic advantage for Barishal. By occupying the crease for an extended period, Ankon and Ali kept the powerful Andre Russell out of the game for a longer time, reducing the impact of one of Comilla’s most explosive players and allowing Barishal to control the game more effectively.
When Saifuddin dismissed Ankon in the 17th over, it left Russell with just 3.2 overs to make an impact. Russell blasted four sixes in the 14 balls he faced but found it challenging to score off Saifuddin in the final over. Despite conceding three wides and a no-ball, Saifuddin limited the damage to just seven runs in that over.
More importantly, Saifuddin prevented any boundaries or sixes during a crucial period when Comilla could have gained some momentum for their innings.
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