Nasum’s record spell helps Sylhet outplay Noakhali

Nasum Ahmed produced a record-breaking spell to script Sylhet Titans' emphatic six-wicket victory over winless Noakhali Express in their sixth match of the ongoing 12th edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) at Sylhet on Monday.

The left-arm spinner returned the best bowling figures by a spinner in BPL history, claiming five for seven from his four overs -- also his career-best -- as Sylhet bundled out Noakhali for a paltry 61 runs in 14.2 overs after Noakhali chose to bat first.

Photo: Sylhet Titans

The previous best by a spinner belonged to Shakib Al Hasan, who had taken five for 16 for Dhaka Dynamites against Rangpur Riders in 2017. Noakhali's total was also the fourth-lowest in BPL history.

Chasing a modest target, Sylhet reached 62 for four in 8.4 overs, though they lost a few late wickets, to register their third win of the tournament and hand Noakhali their fourth consecutive defeat.

Tawfique Khan Tushar led the chase with a brisk 32 off 18 balls, while Zakir Hasan contributed 24 off 23 deliveries as the pair added a decisive 53-run stand for the second wicket. Noakhali left-arm wrist-spinner Zakir Khan briefly raised hopes with figures of three for eight, but the total proved far too small to defend.

Earlier, Noakhali got the services of Soumya Sarkar and Afghan all-rounder Mohammad Nabi for the first time in the tournament, leaving out Jaker Ali, who has struggled for form both internationally and in the BPL. However, the changes failed to pay dividends as Soumya managed only six before falling to Nasum, while Nabi scored just one before being dismissed by Azmatullah Omarzai.

Mahidul Islam Ankon top-scored for Noakhali with a 25 off 32 balls, but received little support from the other end. He was also the last batter to be dismissed as wickets continued to tumble at regular intervals.

The win lifted Sylhet to third place on the points table, while Noakhali remained rooted to the bottom with no wins from four matches.