Jacks ton, Moeen hat-trick sink Chattogram

 
Defending champions Comilla Victorians began their Chattogram part of Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) in emphatic fashion as they whacked past Chattogram Challengers by 73 runs after compiling the join-highest total of the tournament at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium on Tuesday.

Comilla's two English recruits- Will Jacks and Moeen Ali were instrumental in the big victory by wrec king Chattogram brutally. Jacks blasted a 53 ball-108 not out, an innings laced with five fours and 10 sixes as Comilla racked up 239-3 to emulate Rangpur's highest total (239-4) in 2019 at the same venue.

Chattogram bundled out for 166 in 16.3 overs to concede their second straight defeat with Moeen Ali, claiming 4-23 including a hat-trick. This was the second hat-trick in this season after Shoriful Islam's hat-trick against Comilla in the first match and eighth overall in the tournament history.

Moeen also hammered a blazing 24 ball-52 not with two fours and five sixes in his first match in this season to help Comilla post a big total. Despite a big margin victory, Comilla stayed at second spot with 12 points from eight matches, same like league leader Rangpur Riders, who had superior run rate.

Put into bat first, Comilla made a whirlwind start with Liton Das being the initial aggressor. The dashing opener pummeled the Chattogram bowlers to strike 60 off 31, an innings studded with nine fours and three sixes. Will Jacks got a life when he had no score to his name but as he set himself in the crease, he tore apart Chattogram bowlers in brutal fashion.

Chattogram which was the contender of the top two teams, now lost two matches in a row and in both matches, their fielders misfielded in childish way to leak runs generously while putting down a good number of catches. However, pacer Shohidul Islam gave them double breakthrough, dismissing Liton, and centurion of the previous match Towhid Hridoy for duck in consecutive deliveries but Comilla were in strong zone with 86-2 in eight overs. Shykat Ali then gave the side further hope, taking out Brooke Guest for 10 with Comilla at 111-3 in 11.1 overs.

As Chattogram looked to bounce back in the game, Moeen and Jacks put a dent on it, combining 128 runs off just 53 balls for an undefeated fourth wicket stand.

They indeed made 82 runs in the last five overs. Chattogram also had a rapid start in the chase of the big total, with Josh Brown and Tanzid Hasan Tamim sharing 80 runs in just 7.3 obvers. Mustazifur Rahman broke through with the wicket of Tanzid who made team-best 41 off 24 with five fours and two sixes.

Soon after leg-spinner Rishad Hossain got the better of Brown for 36, forcing Chattogram's chase take nosedive. Shykat Ali hammered 36 off 11 with one four and five sixes amid the wickets tumbling around him as Rishad Hossain, who grabbed 4-22, dismantled the middle order.

Moeen then took three wickets-Shohdiul, Al-Amin Hossain and Bilal Khan--in three balls to complete his hat-trick, which also wrapped up Chattogram's innings.