Hat-trick hero Mrittunjoy delivers for Chattogram

The Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium witnessed this edition of Bangladesh Premier League's maiden hat-trick, from Mrittunjoy Chowdhury, and the first 200-plus score as hosts Chattogram Challengers registered a scintillating 16-run win over Sylhet Sunrisers in the night game today. 

Young Mrittunjoy, who made his debut in BPL today, became only the sixth bowler in the history of the tournament to register a hat-trick as he gunned down a high-flying Sylhet, who at one point were on course for chasing a mammoth 203-run target set by Chattogram.

It was Anamul Haque who was looking ominous and threatened to take the game away from Chattogram. The right-handed opener struck Mrittunjoy for a six and a four in the 18th over to bring down the equation to 39 required off 16 deliveries.

But Mrittunjoy fought back brilliantly, removing Anamul in the third delivery of that over. He had Anamul caught at cover, putting an end to a blistering 47-ball 78 that featured three maximums and nine fours.

The 20-year-old then removed Mosaddek Hossain and castled Ravi Bopara to register the first hat-trick of the ongoing tournament and eventually helped Chattogram to restrict Sylhet to 186 for six. 

Mrittunjoy also became only the third Bangladeshi to have bagged a hat-trick in BPL. He now joins the likes of Mohammad Sami, Al-Amin Hossain, Aliss Al Islam, Wahab Riaz and Andre Russell on the list of players with a hat-trick in BPL. 

Mrittunjoy ended with figures of three for 33 in four overs.  

Despite losing the centurion of the previous game Lendl Simons, Sylhet had a decent start as they rode on Collin Ingram and Anamul Haque's 112-run second-wicket stand. Ingram was dismissed on fifty off 37 balls but Anamul went on and kept the hopes alive for Sylhet until Mrittunjoy spoiled the party.  

Earlier, Chattogram Challengers posted the first 200-plus score in the ongoing eighth edition of the BPL as they posted a mammoth 202 for five. 

At the beginning of the game, Chattogram came up with a couple of surprises in their leadership. They replaced Mehedi Hasan Miraz with Naeem Islam as their captain on their fifth game of the tournament. Their head coach Paul Nixon also returned to the UK to join his county side Leicestershire as bowling coach Shaun Tait took over the role.

After being sent to bat, it was Will Jacks who gave the platform for a big total as the right-hander struck fifty off just 18 deliveries -- the second-fastest fifty in BPL history. 

Jacks joined the likes of Seekkuge Parsanna and Rahmanullah Gurbaz for the second-fastest half century in BPL. Pakistani opener Ahmed Shehzad holds the record for the fastest fifty in BPL. Shehzad smashed fifty off just 16 balls in the inaugural edition of the tournament back in 2012 while playing for Barisal Burners against Duronto Rajshahi.

Coming back to today's action, the 23-year-old Jacks came up with an aggressive approach right from the word go and played shots all around the ground. He struck consecutive sixes to Taskin Ahmed in the third over and followed it up with three boundaries to Alauddin Babu in the next over. 

Jacks reached his fifty with consecutive boundaries to Taskin before being finally dismissed after scoring a 19-ball 52, featuring three sixes and seven fours. 

Kennar Lewis, the other opener, soon followed suit but courtesy of Jacks' blistering knock, Chattogram were able to add 71 for two in the power play.

Afif Hossain added 38 off 28 balls while Sabbir Rahman scored 31 off 29 balls in the middle. 

At the death, Benny Howell scored a quick-fire unbeaten 21-ball 41, laced with three maximums and two boundaries. He helped Chattogram finish on a high note as he struck Taskin for two sixes, helping Chattogram amass a total of 22 runs from the final over of the innings.

Miraz also struck a six to Taskin in the final over and was not out for 13 off just four deliveries as Chattogram added 48 runs in the last three overs.