Dhaka Dynamites remained on course to become the fourth semi-finalist in the Bangladesh Premier League after a crushing 45-run win over Chittagong Vikings in Dhaka on Tuesday.
The outcome confirmed Vikings elimination before the elimination round as the side conceded their seventh loss in nine outings.
Dynamites have their destiny in their own hand as the side still have two matches left where wins will take them along side Comilla Victorians, Rangpur Riders and Barisal Bulls in the last four.
However, any slip will open the door for Sylhet Superstars, who, despite their early struggle in the tournament, are still in contentions with four points and three matches in hand.
Apart from the equation in the points table the match between Dynamites and Vikings had an added attraction in the dual of Mohammad Hafeez and Mohammad Amir.
Hafeez refused to play with Amir in Vikings and eventually signed for Dynamites to face the bowler in his first match of the tournament ironically.
While Amir won the battle as he dismissed the batsmen after nicely setting him up with three dot balls, Hafeez won the war with Dynamites outplaying Vikings.
Left-arm spinner Mosharraf Hossain turned out to be the hero with 4-16 that helped Dynamites restricts Vikings to 76-9 after putting 121-8.
Amir’s skipper in the match, Tamim Iqbal, who brought him into the attack soon after Hafeez arrived, however, brushed aside any animosity and extra tension regarding the issue.
‘He [Amir] was very calm, he was not thinking anything about it,’ said Tamim.
‘If you look at his celebration after getting Hafiz nothing was extravagant and he did not even show any gesture or uttered any word to the batsman.
‘I am sure none of them has any animosity to each other and within few months they will represent the same side.’
Tamim won the toss and readily opted to bowl considering the nature of wicket where batting appeared difficult in the first innings of a match on the last few occasions.
But three little cameos from Kumar Sangakkara(38), Mosaddek Hossain(24) and Malcolm Waller (19) ensured Dynamites did not suffer the fate of Bulls and Superstars, who got all out for 58 and 59 runs respectively in previous two day’s opening matches.
Amir finished with 3-18 while Shafiul Islam picked 3-21 but Dynamites
somehow managed to give Vikings a target of more than six runs in an over at the tricky Sher-e-Bangla pitch.
Vikings relied heavily on Tamim and Tillakaratne Dilshan for a good
start in the previous
matches but Mustafizur Rahman and Abul Hasan dismissed them respectively to deny the duo a similar fortune.
When Yasir Shah took a return catch Anamul Haque and Yasir Ali departed soon by running him out the match seemed all but over for Vikings.
Mosharraf completed the formalities by nailing down the lower order after opening his account by removing Umar Akmal.
Brief Scores
Dhaka Dynamites 121-8 in 20 overs (Sangakkara 38, Mosaddek 24; Amir 3-18, Shafiul 3-24) v Chittagong Vikings 76 in 16.5 overs (Umar 14; Mosharraf 4-16)
Result: Dhaka Dynamites won by 45 runs
Man of the match: Mosharraf Hossain (DD)
Source: New Age
