Rajshahi set up victory with record total

Duronto Rajshahi bounced back from three consecutive losses to beat Barisal Burners by four runs in a high-scoring contest. Rajshahi's 213 for 6 was the highest score in the BPL, surpassing Dhaka's 208 for 5 in the first season, but the Burners' 209 for 7 is now in second place after they maintained a high run-rate but missed vital partnerships in the chase.

Charles Coventry started the big-hit party with a 25-ball 62, with seven fours and four sixes. He reached 50 off just 20 balls at the end of the fifth over, when his opening partner Tamim Iqbal was 8 off 11 balls. Coventry fell two overs later after attempting one more charge at Alok Kapali.

Tamim took up the charge after Coventry's departure. He was severe on the spinners, and scored 66 off 47 balls. He struck five sixes and three boundaries, and maintained the 10-plus run-rate throughout his stay. Sean Ervine kept up the pace with an unbeaten 30 off 11 balls, hitting three sixes. Off the last seven balls of the innings, Ervine and Abul Hasan struck four sixes.

Kapali and Shafiul Islam conceded only 46 runs off their 8 overs, while the rest of the Burners attack was taken for 167 runs at a rate of 13.92 per over.

Burners replied in earnest but scoring 10.70 per over was a hard task. Brad Hodge blasted a few before falling to a catch at sweeper for 23. Sabbir Rahman and Joe Denly contributed slightly, while Azhar Mahmood threatened Rajshahi before Ervine had him leg-before on 54 off 28 balls.

The Burners' batsmen tried to replicate Rajshahi's 13 sixes but fell short by three, and more importantly they didn't have the sizeable partnerships that anchor such large chases. Burners slipped to the bottom of the seven-team competition after suffering their fourth defeat in five games. They haven't won a game since on January 20.