Shakib stars as Dhaka return to top

Dhaka Gladiators 115 for 2 (Shakib 54, Dilshan 49*) beat Barisal Burners 114 for 9 (Mahmood 30, Liddle 2-16) by eight wickets
Scorecard

Dhaka Gladiators returned on top of the points table after posting their seventh win in the competition. They crushed Barisal Burners by eight wickets and with 44 balls to spare as the Burners' hopes of a final four finish took a beating.

Shakib Al Hasan's half-century hastened the victory and ended the night game early. Shakib struck 54 off 31 balls with seven boundaries and a six, and was helped on the way by Tillakaratne Dilshan who made an unbeaten 49 off 39 balls. The pair came together after Mohammad Ashraful fell to a pull shot off Azhar Mahmood in the second over of the small chase, and added 92 runs for the second wicket.

Shakib was particularly attacking and played some splendid shots off the four-pronged seam attack of the Burners. Afghanistan fast bowler Hamid Hassan's debut match at the BPL ended without a wicket as he went for 28 off his four overs.

But batting seemed more difficult when the Burners batted first after they were stifled to 114 for 9 in 20 overs. Mahmood made 30 off 33 balls but found no support as Brad Hodge fell for 12 and Sabbir Rahman, the other in-form batsman in the Burners line-up, made only 18 off 14 balls.

Mashrafe Mortaza, Alfonso Thomas, Shakib Al Hasan and Chris Liddle took two wickets each.