Sammy, Sami & Perera's last-ball 6

There was very little else that the eager crowd at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium could have wanted from the second day of the Bangladesh Premier League's Chittagong leg yesterday. They got to see a half-century by Comilla Victorians skipper and Chittagong native Tamim Iqbal, they witnessed the beloved Mustafizur Rahman's come back to competitive cricket and were entertained by Rajshahi Kings skipper Darren Sammy's six shower that produced the most expensive over in the five editions of the BPL so far. And that was just in the afternoon game, which Rajshahi won by 30 runs thanks to the captain's fireworks and a superb four-wicket haul from Mohammad Sami.

The evening match was an utter thriller that shifted this way and that. Rangpur Riders skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza provided the fireworkds initially before the game shifted again and again until Thisara Perera hit the last ball of the match for six to seal a three-wicket win over Chittagong.

Chittagong Vikings rode on Stiaan van Zyl's 68 off 40 balls to score 176 for seven after Rangpur won the toss. After an uncharacteristically slow start from Brendon McCullum and Chris Gayle, the latter put on 60 runs in just 4.2 overs with skipper Mashrafe, who promoted himself and hit 42 off 17 balls with four boundaries and three sixes. Gayle's dismissal for a 25-ball 33 with the score on 97 for three brought Chittagong back in the match.

With 26 needed off the last three overs, Rangpur were favourites, but a great 19th over from Luis Reece, which conceded just five runs for the wicket of Mohammad Mithun for a 29-ball 44, left Rangpur needing 14 off the last over bowled by Taskin Ahmed. Thisara Perera hit the first ball for six but Nahidul Islam was run out on next the ball. Shahriar Nafees holed out the first ball and it came down to four needed off the last ball. Taskin bowled a wide down the leg side, but the legitimate delivery he bowled next was hammered over cow corner for a big six to spark Rangpur celebrations.

In the first match, chasing 186, the Victorians were in the game for much of the innings, thanks to an 87-run third-wicket partnership in 9.5 overs between Tamim and Shoaib Malik after being reduced to four for two in the first two overs.

Malik hit a 26-ball 45 with five fours and two sixes before offering a return catch to Dwayne Smith in the 12th over. Tamim hit a 45-ball 63 with four boundaries and three sixes, but he departed trying a big hit off Sami. After that, there was not much resistance as Comilla were all out for 155.

The star of the bowling side was Sami with figures of four for nine, including three wickets in the 15th.

Earlier, a blinder from Rajshahi Kings skipper Darren Sammy lifted them from 113 for four after 15 overs to 185 for seven. 32 of those came off the last over and the unfortunate bowler was Mohammad Saifuddin, hit for a two, a four and four sixes by Sammy. There were also two wides. Sammy ended on an unbeaten 47 off 14 balls with six sixes and one four.

SCORES IN BRIEF

RAJSHAHI KINGS V COMILLA VICTORIANS

RAJSHAHI: 185 for 7 (Wright 42, Sammy 47 not out; Saifuddin 3-50)

COMILLA: 155 all out (Tamim 63, Malik 45; Sami 4-9)

Result: Rajshahi won by 30 runs.

Player-of-the-match: Darren Sammy.

CHITTAGONG VIKINGS V RANGPUR RIDERS

CHITTAGONG: 176 for 7 (Soumya 30, Van Zyl 68; Nahidul 1-4)

RANGPUR: 180 for 7 in 20 overs (Mithun 44, Gayle 33, Mashrafe 42; Sunzamul 1-23)

Player-of-the-match: Mashrafe Bin Mortaza.