Sami, Sammy light up Chittagong

The Chittagong crowd got its money's worth in the first BPL match of the day at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium as hometown favourite Tamim Iqbal struck a sparkling 50, the beloved Mustafizur Rahman returned to action and a rain of sixes flowed from the universally admired Darren Sammy's bat. But it was Sammy's Rajshahi Kings, riding on the captain's fireworks and Mohammad Sami's four-for, who won the day over Tamim's Comilla Victorians by 30 runs and lifted themselves to sixth position in the points table. 

In chase of a stiff 186-run target, the Victorians were in the game for much of the innings, thanks to an 87-run third-wicket partnership in 9.5 overs between Tamim and Shoaib Malik after being reduced to four for two inside the first two overs. Malik hit a 26-ball 45 with five fours and two sixes before offering a return catch to Dwayne Smith in the 12th over. Tamim hit a 45-ball 63 with four boundaries and three sixes, the best of them being a 92-metre hit over long on off Smith in the over following Malik's departure. But he departed in the next over trying another hit over the ropes off Sami, but this time he found Smith at deep point. After that, there was not much resistance as Comilla were all out for 155 with five balls remaining.

Mustafizur had a mixed bag as he did pick up two wickets, including the last one of Mahedi Hasan, but he was also expensive with figures of two for 32 off 3.1 overs. The star of the bowling side was however Sami with excellent figures of four for nine off four overs. 

Earlier, a blinder from Rajshahi Kings skipper Darren Sammy lifted them from a middling 113 for four after 15 overs to 185 for seven -- an astonishing 72 runs in five overs. 32 of those came off the last over and the unfortunate bowler was Mohammad Saifuddin, hit for four sixes, a boundary and a two by Sammy. There were also two wides, and that made it the most expensive over in the five editions of the BPL so far. Sammy ended on 47 off 14 balls with six sixes and just one four. 

For the first 15 overs, it seemed like yet another below-par effort from the team that started the match at the bottom of the seven-team table. After a good opening stand of 43 between Mominul Haque and Dwayne Smith, the latter was bowled by Saifuddin, the former was run out and the innings seemed to lose momentum after the Powerplay overs. Saifuddin was having a good day, taking the wickets of Smith, Luke Wright and Mushfiqur Rahim. He started the last over with excellent figures of three for 18 off three overs, but the Sammy blitz ensured that it morphed into a horrendous three for 50 from four overs.