Mushfiqur carries Nagenahira home

ESPNCricinfo: Another stellar bowling performance underpinned a third consecutive victory for Nagenahira Nagas, as they breezed past Basnahira Cricket Dundee’s 146 with six wickets and one over to spare. Shaminda Eranga’s three for 20 from four overs and an economical spell from Sachith Pathirana ensured Cricket Dundee could not launch a sustained surge at any stage, and Mushfiqur Rahim’s cool unbeaten 54 guided the Nagas unfussily to the modest target.

 

Once again Eranga troubled batsmen with seam, on a pitch that retained enough spice to accommodate movement in both directions despite one match already having been played on it earlier in the evening. An away-swinger caught the outside of Dhanushka Gunathilleke’s bat, his drive going to mid off, and Cameron Borgas fell in similar fashion to Eranga much later in the innings. Sachithra Serasinghe’s bottom edge completed Eranga’s haul, but the dot balls amid the breakthroughs were almost as crucial to his side’s cause.

 Dilshan was forced into reticence once again through early wickets and tight bowling, and his 35 took 31 deliveries. Dimuth Karunaratne and Borgas also got starts, but neither were able to spur the run rate to any great extent as the Nagas continued to get regular breakthroughs.

 Imran Nazir retured hurt early for the Nagas, after he pulled a muscled playing a pull stroke, but Angelo Mathews and Mushfiqur combined to provide substance to the chase, with a measured third-wicket stand of 57. Both batsmen collected the runs on offer from the spinners, and scored heavily square of the wicket off the seam bowlers, while striking the odd boundary to keep up with the required rate.

 Mathews’ demise for 30 did not deter Mushfiqur, who found another solid partner in Angelo Perera, and the pair set about closing the game out quickly with a spate of boundaries. A six to Mushfiqur, off the last ball of the penultimate over, took him past fifty and secured the tournament top-spot for the Nagas, who appear to be the form side of the early stages.