Sylhet Titans eased back to winning ways in the Bangladesh Premier League with a comprehensive six-wicket victory over Noakhali Express, condemning the tournament newcomers to their fourth straight defeat.
Noakhali, playing their first season in the BPL, endured a miserable afternoon at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium after being bowled out for just 61. Sylhet needed only 8.4 overs to overhaul the target, finishing with six wickets in hand.
The match was effectively decided by Nasum Ahmed, whose left-arm spin tore through Noakhali’s batting. Nasum returned figures of five wickets for seven runs from four overs, the best of his BPL career.
Noakhali never recovered from his early strikes. Wicketkeeper-batter Mahidul Islam Ankon top-scored with 25, while opener Habibur Rahman Sohan made 18. No other batter reached double figures as the innings collapsed under sustained pressure.
Chasing a modest target, Sylhet suffered an early setback when opener Parvez Hossain Emon was dismissed for one after facing five balls. A steady second-wicket partnership of 53 stabilised the chase before Taufiq Khan fell for 32.
Afif Hossain was dismissed for two, while Zakir Hasan contributed 24 before departing. From there, Azmatullah Omarzai and Moeen Ali calmly guided Sylhet home, remaining unbeaten on nought and one respectively.
For Noakhali Express, led by Haider Ali, the defeat underlined a difficult start to life in the BPL. Sylhet, meanwhile, will take confidence from a one-sided performance built on Nasum’s spell, which set the tone for one of the most dominant wins of the season.
