DHAKA, Bangladesh (CMC) – West Indies batting star Marlon Samuels struck his third half-century of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and passed 300 runs as Comilla Victorians finished on top of the standings with an impressive 25-run win over Sylhet Sixers here yesterday.

Sent in at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, Victorians reached 170 for four off their 20 overs, with opener Liton Das top-scoring with 65 from 43 balls and Samuels stroking 55 from 43 deliveries.

Victorians were reduced to 37 for two in the fifth over before Das and Samuels came together to add 83 for the third wicket and revive the innings.

Das struck half-dozen fours and three sixes, while the right-handed Samuels counted five fours and two sixes en route to becoming the Victorians’ leading run-scorer this season.

The Jamaican has 334 runs at an average of nearly 67.

Samuels was eventually dismissed at the start of the penultimate over, caught in the deep by Windies teammate Andre Fletcher off pacer Kamrul Islam.

Veteran Shoaib Malik rallied the innings late on with an unbeaten 28 off 18 ball, with a four and two sixes.

In reply, Fletcher struggled at the top of the order with 25 from 30 balls as Sixers stumbled to 145 for seven off their 20 overs.

Sabbir Rahman top-scored with 31 from 20 deliveries while Babar Azam chipped in with 20, but the knocks were not enough to revive the run chase.

In the first match of the doubleheader, Dhaka Dynamites beat Rangpur Riders by 43 runs, with little input from the Trinidad and Tobago and West Indies trio of Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine and Evin Lewis.

Pollard, batting at number eight, made just six while Lewis failed with 14 and opening partner Narine, four, as Dynamites raised 137 for seven off their 20 overs.

All-rounder Shakib-al-Hasan top-scored with 47 not out off 33 deliveries.

In reply, Riders – without superstar opener Chris Gayle – were held to 94 for seven off 20 overs, with England’s Ravi Bopara getting 28 not out and West Indies opener Johnson Charles scoring 26.

Narine produced a miserly four-over spell of off-spin, conceding 18 runs and picking up one wicket.

Victorians ended the preliminary round on 18 points, three clear of Dynamites and Khulna Titans, who lie second and third, respectively.

Riders remained fourth with 12 points.