Barishal started the BPL 10th edition with a loss after losing to Rangpur. They faced three consecutive defeats in the following matches. They had to wait until their last match to see if they could make it to the playoffs. They didn’t make it to the playoffs. By defeating Chattogram Challengers, they confirmed Rangpur Riders’ place in the final. Cumilla Victorians failed to stop the Barishal team’s dominance. Barishal cricketers kept their grip tight on both ball and bat. Tamim led Barishal to win the first trophy of the BPL.
In the 2022 edition, Barishal missed the trophy to Cumilla by just one run. This time, they responded strongly. After the brilliance of Tamim-Miraz, Kyle Mayers’ fiery fifer secured victory for Barishal. On the other hand, four-time champions Cumilla Victorians faced defeat in the final for the first time.
At Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur, Barishal captain Tamim Iqbal won the toss and sent Cumilla to bat. Liton Das’s team collected 154 runs for 6 wickets at the end of the allotted overs. Barishal, with the bat in hand, ensured victory with an over to spare, thanks to Liton Das’s 154-run contribution. They secured victory in the port of success.
Barishal started their innings with just one run in the first over. However, Tanvir Islam, Cumilla’s bowler, gave away extra runs – 11, including two boundaries and three wides.
In the second over, Tamim scored four off the first ball, followed by a single to Miraz. Miraz struck a four off the third ball and a six off the fourth. That over yielded 15 runs.
In the third over, Tamim hit Tanvir for two sixes, adding 14 runs. In the fourth over, Narine took 3 runs. In the fifth over, Mustafizur conceded 6 runs. In the sixth over, Tamim-Miraz added 9 runs with a six from Narine.
In the eighth over, Cumilla gained their first wicket . At the end of the over, Moin Ali suffered the first blow. Tamim was sent back by Maier’s direct bowling. Mayers scored 39 runs off 26 balls, including four fours and a six.
In the tenth over, English all-rounder came to bowl. On the third ball of the over, Miraz was caught by Jonson Charles. Miraz scored 29 runs off 26 balls, including a four and two sixes.
After the dismissal of the two batters at 82 runs, Barishal did not lose any more wickets. Mayers partnered with Mushfiqur Rahim, who scored 30 runs. Mushfiqur Rahim’s wicket was taken by Mustafizur Rahman, leaving him at 14 runs.
After Mayers’ dismissal, Mushfiqur Rahim was the second to fall, caught by Moin Ali. He scored 13 runs off 17 balls.
Later, Mahmudullah Riyad and David Miller took Barishal to victory. Miller scored 8 runs off 7 balls. And Mahmudullah remained unbeaten with 7 runs off 7 balls.
Cumilla’s Moin Ali took 2 wickets for 28 runs in 4 overs. Mustafizur also took 2 wickets for 31 runs in 4 overs.
Before coming to bat, the start wasn’t good for the four-time champions. The batters were seen losing wickets from the start. Opener Sunil Narine returned to the pavilion even before showing any glimpse of a fight. The rest of the top-order batters followed his path.
Cumilla captain Liton Das tried to make a comeback in the second over. He was joined by Towhid Hridoy. Despite hitting a few boundaries in the second over, they couldn’t hold on to their partnership. Liton scored 16 runs and Hridoy scored 15 runs, heading back to the pavilion.
Johnson Charles, despite being nervous from the start, tried to assert his dominance by hitting two sixes. However, he couldn’t withstand Barishal’s bowlers and was out for 15 runs before getting more settled. Moin Ali couldn’t add much to the innings either. He returned with just 3 runs.
In the sixth wicket partnership, Zakir Ali Anik and Mahidul Islam tried to resist a little. They combined for 36 runs off 29 balls. Towards the end, Andre Russell unleashed his power. In the 19th over, James Fuller hit three sixes. He scored an unbeaten innings of 27 runs off 14 balls. Besides, Zakir Ali scored 20 runs unbeaten.
Barishal’s Fuller took 2 wickets for 43 runs in 4 overs. Mohammad Saifuddin, Kyle Mayers, and Obed McCoy also took one wicket each.
