Father-son flair lifts Noakhali to back-to-back BPL wins

A rare father-and-son act, backed by a commanding opening stand, powered Noakhali Express to a 41-run win over Dhaka Capitals in the Bangladesh Premier League at Sylhet on Sunday, with Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi and Hassan Eisakhil at the heart of the victory.

Eisakhil narrowly missed out on a hundred after taking control in a 101-run opening partnership with Soumya Sarkar, who struck 48 off 25 balls, before adding a further 53 runs with his father Nabi (17 off 13). The right-hander wasted little time settling in, hammering a commanding 92 off 60 deliveries, decorated with five sixes and seven fours, to power Noakhali to 184 for seven after opting to bat first.

On an evening when most frontline bowlers struggled to contain the scoring, an unlikely option helped Dhaka prevent further damage. Opener Abdullah Al Mamun stepped up with his gentle seam and returned figures of 2 for 24 from four overs. Mohammad Saifuddin, who has found a place in Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup squad, also impressed with the ball, claiming two wickets while conceding just 23 runs from three overs.

Chasing a stiff target, Dhaka’s reply got off to the worst possible start as they slumped to 19 for four in 4.2 overs, losing Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Saif Hassan and Nasir Hossain early.

Skipper Mohammad Mithun attempted to arrest the collapse with a subdued 33 off 31 balls, while Shamim Hossain provided a brief spark with a brisk 29 from 16 deliveries. Saifuddin once again stood out, this time with the bat, scoring 34 off 20 balls, but his effort only reduced the margin of defeat.

For Noakhali, pacers Hasan Mahmud, Mehedi Hasan Rana and Ihsanullah, along with off-spinner Nabi, picked up two wickets apiece to seal a comfortable win.

The victory marked Noakhali’s second win of the campaign and gave them back-to-back victories after losing their opening six matches. Dhaka also have two wins, with both teams sitting on four points. However, Dhaka edge Noakhali on net run rate and occupy fifth place on the table, four points adrift of the top four, while Noakhali remain rooted to the bottom.