Hodge, Mahmood stars in Barisal win

Barisal Burners 148 for 3 

Brad Hodge 63, Mahmood 52*

Khulna Royal Bengals 145 for 7 

Nafees 66, Mahmood 3 for 23

Barisal Burners come back  out on top in the fight to avoid the base spot in the tournament, credit to Azhar Mahmood's all round performance. Barisal Burners  crushed Khulna Royal Bengals by seven wickets to remain in contention for a top four finish, while the Royal Bengals are mostly  out of the race.

The Burners skipper Brad Hodge made it an easy way for his side. Made  63 from  47 deliveries  lead the chase of 145 runs. Brad  Hodge smashed  six fours and two sixes over, using the pace of the bowlers whenever it was offered on a slow wicket, but mostly do  the angles to get  singles.

Brad Hodge put on  93 runs  for the 3rd  wicket with Azhar Mahmood, he  was unbeaten on a 33 ball  52 included with seven boundaries and a six. The skilled pair wisely played out the dangerous Shapoor Zadran before attacking the rest of the bowlers,  Hodge and Mahmood batted at more than 10 an over, made  confident the target was reached in 17.5 overs.

Mahmood had success with the bowling also, he claimed  3 for 23 to keep the Royal Bengals to a  150 score. After bowling strongly with the new ball, he take  three wickets in his final  two overs, including the top scorer Shahriar Nafees. The three wicket rupture silent the Royal Bengals in the last  few overs.

Nafees scored  66 from 50 deliveries included  with nine boundaries, Nazimuddin had smashed  two boundaries and two sixes in his 30 ball 33 knock, but after the opening partnership was broken, their foreign batsmen in the middle order was  failed. Apart from Mahmood, Alok Kapali and newcomer Farveez Maharoof claimed  two wickets each.