Barisal Burners outclassed Khulna Royal Bengals by eight wickets with nine balls remaining in the 5th match of the Prime Bank Bangladesh Premier League Season 2 at the Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium here Sunday.
Batting first after winning the toss, Khulna Royal Bengals scored 142 runs for 8 wickets, riding on opener Shahriar Nafees’ 43 and two down Riki Wessels’s 48 in the allotted 20 overs. 
Shahriar Nafees steered the innings towards a strong position after another opener Nazimuddin was out caught behind in the first ball of the match bowled by Shafiul Islam.
Nafees played a boundary-studded 28-ball 43 that featured textbook straight drives, cracking cover drives and sweep through the mid-wicket.
Nafees smashed nine fours among which four came in the 10th over when the Royal Bengals’ total became 70 for 2.
After Nafees’ knock came to a premature end following his run out in the 12th over, a lot depended on the rest, particularly on the Australian Riki Wessels, who was batting then.
But Riki, being pressurized by the fall of wickets at regular interval at the other end, failed to deliver as was expected. He scored 48 runs off 44 balls with three fours and two sixes alongside two other double digit scorers –- one down Daniel Harris (11) and number seven Farhad Reza (11) –- as the Royal Bengals posted 142 for 8.
Barisal Burners all-rounder Alok Kapali played a prominent role in keeping the Royal Bengals in check giving just two runs in the 19th over. Kapali’s spell was 18-1 while slow-left-arm Elias Sunny finished 19-1, both in 4 overs.
In reply, the Barisal Burners scored 57 runs for no loss in 7 overs with T20 specialist Australian Brad Hodge hitting two fours and a six in the 7th over off slow left-arm Snajamul Islam.
The Burners’ skipper, 38-year-old Hodge playing in his 169th T20 match hit five fours and two sixes for a captain’s knock of 53 runs off 40 balls. With Phil Mustard of England, Hodge put up a 78-run opening stand.
Mustard scored 35 runs (4 x 5) off 27 balls while one down Joe Denly scored 30 (4 x 4) off 28 and two down Azhar Mahmood 25 (4 x 3; 6 x 1) off 16 balls as the Burners lost two wickets to score 146 in chasing down the target.
The situation seemed tight though with 36 required off 36 balls. Azhar Mahmood belted a six and a four in the 15th over to help the Burners take control of the match needing 24 runs more from the last five overs.
Dollar Mahmud and Sanjamul Islam took one wicket apiece for 22 and 39 runs respectively.
Barisal Burners’ skipper Brad Hodge was named man of the match.
