COV VS FBA T20S

Right then, we are done with another game in BPL 2024 and it is the reigning champions Comilla Victorians who have their first win on the board, leaving Sylhet as the only winless team. The caravan now moves to Sylhet for the next leg of the group stage and there will be a rest of a couple of days before the next round of fixtures. The BPL will resume on Friday, 26 January with another doubleheader. The first of those matches will be played between Khulna Tigers and Rangpur Riders starting at 1.30 pm IST (8 am GMT) but you can join us a lot sooner for the build-up. Till then, take care and goodbye!

Litton Das, the skipper of Comilla Victorians says that whenever the score is around 160-165, it will be a batter's game and goes on to applaud Imrul Kayes and Jaker Ali as well. Adds that they bowled well in the Powerplay and then let it slip a bit before coming back strongly and they need to improve further. Goes on to applaud the effort of Mustafizur Rahman and reckons he is their main bowler. On Jaker Ali, he says that the coach and the team have full faith in him and even Khushdil Shah is someone who

Matthew Forde is the Player of the Match for his vital contribution with both bat and ball. Matthew Forde says he is really happy to win the first match of the season. He continues that they never lost hope from the match as they still had batters who would come onto the pitch and hit the boundaries. He ends up saying that his team is in good form and everyone gel pretty well with each other.

The Presentation ceremony...

Tamim Iqbal, the captain of Fortune Barishal is down for a chat. Tamim says that it is a sinking feeling but they have themselves to blame. Adds that you simply cannot drop so many catches at this level and they had a par score on the board. Mentions that they allowed the opposition to come back into the game and some of the deliveries they bowled were not according to plan and goes on to say that he doesn't want to be hard on his side. Recklons the dew was there but not as bad as the other day.

Earlier in the game, Litton Das won the toss and just like has been the norm so far in BPL 2024, he opted to bowl. The spinners were used early on and both Tanvir Islam and Roston Chase picked up early wickets for the Victorians. Then came the counter-attack from Mushfiqur Rahim and Soumya Sarkar and at one stage, Fortune Barishal were looking set for a really big total. Rahim did notch up a half-century but Barishal couldn't conjure up a big finish and had to settle for 161 runs. The bowling in general was good from Comilla Victorians and the likes of Mustafizur Rahman and Matthew Forde got wickets t crucial stages. Coming to the chase, it ebbed and flowed from one end to the other before eventually going in favor of the team batting second as has been the case in all matches so far.

Fortune Barishal will be disappointed with that as they had the game in their hands but let it slip in the back end. Dunith Wellalage started brilliantly with the ball and got a couple of big wickets early. The others too piled on the pressure and they seemed to have things under control. Dunith Wellalage came back in to get a third wicket and Khaled Ahmed too bowled well in the middle phase. In the latter half though, the pacers were all over the place bowling too many extras and they spilled a few crucial catches as well that cost them dearly. A second successive loss and Fortune Barishal have only 2 points from 3 matches.

What a game! Jubilation on the face of the players of Comilla Victorians as Matthew Forde fires them home and he is absolutely pumped up. It looked like for the first time in BPL 2024, a team setting the total would win the game but eventually, it was the chasing side who snatched victory off Fortune Barishal's hands. The Victorians started off decently but lost three of their big-name batters soon after. Imrul Kayes had to play an anchoring knock and he made sure that no further wickets fell. Slowly, the run-rate started to pick up and Kayes got going well. Kayes got out after getting a fifty but it was a strong showing from the lower middle order as Jaker Ali, Khushdil Shah and lastly, Matthew Forde got away the crucial big hits at the death to seal a fantastic win.

That's it, Comilla Victorians have done it! Khaled Ahmed bowls this on a length outside off. Matthew Forde drills it towards the extra cover where the fielder fumbles and they get the single that they wanted. Just like that Comilla Victorians have turned the match from the tough angle. Comilla Victorians win the match by 4 wickets!

FOUR! Matthew Forde gets another one for himself and his team! Khaled Ahmed goes fuller this time outside off. Matthew Forde again opens his stance and swats it towards deep sweeper cover fence for a boundary. Only one run needed!

SIX! Matthew Forde joins the party! Short delivery outside off. Matthew Forde clears his front foot and heaves it up and over the deep cover fence for a biggie. That could be the telling blow.

Slower delivery outside off. Matthew Forde slaps it towards long on and gets a double.

Matthew Forde is the new batter in.

OUT! RUN OUT! Mushfiqur Rahim with the bullseye and Khushdil Shah has to walk back. Khaled Ahmed goes full and wide with pace on and Jaker Ali misses the attempted drive. The batters try to scamper through for the bye but Rahim picks up the ball and under-arms the throw at the batter's end. Shah is well short as confirmed by the replays and now the new batter will be on strike.

Khaled Ahmed comes back in to bowl the final over. Can he defend 12 runs here? Also, Fortune Barishal will have an additional fielder inside the ring due to the slow over rate.

Slower once again, outside off. Jaker Ali slogs it towards the right of the deep mid-wicket fielder and gets a single.

WIDE! Slower one, down the leg.

Back of a length once again! Slower delivery outside off. Jaker Ali swing hard to get something to it but misses.