Sylhet scrape through to tight win

Sylhet Royals 145 for 9 (Stirling 42, Hassan 3-31) beat Barisal Burners 144 for 9 (Hodge 46, Mominul 2-14) by one wicket
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Barisal Burners fought hard to keep themselves alive in their contest against Sylhet Royals, but crashed out of the BPL with a one-wicket loss.

The equation now leaves Rangpur Riders and Duronto Rajshahi vying for a final spot in the last four. If the Riders beat the Burners in Thursday's first match, they will go through on 12 points. If they lose, Rajshahi will go through on head-to-head over the Riders and the Burners because all three teams will then be on 10 points.

Despite Paul Stirling's rapid 42 and Mushfiqur Rahim's measured 34, the Royals were under pressure for most of the 145-run chase, until Mohammad Nabi's three boundaries in the 19th over helped them take control.

Seamer Hamid Hassan still kept the Burners in the hunt with the wicket of Sohag Gazi, which was Royals' eighth. Nabi continued to bat calmly in the final over of the game, when they needed four to win. But with a single to win, Suhrawadi Shuvo skied an easy catch to Brad Hodge. Nabi completed the tense chase with a pulled single, giving Sylhet top spot in the points table.

Hassan took three wickets but couldn't contain Nabi, who finished with a valuable 16 off 8 balls.

Burners, in their innings, had got to 144 due to a belligerent knock by Alok Kapali towards the end. After the Burners limped to 122 for 8 in the 19th over, Kapali went after Elton Chigumbura, hitting the Zimbabwean allrounder for three boundaries and a pulled six to score 22 runs and keep the Burners in the hunt. Kapali was unbeaten on 34 off just 16 balls. Hodge was the other significant contributor to the total, scoring 46.

Royals' best bowler was Mominul Haque, who took 2 for 14 from his three overs while Sulieman Benn, Chigumbura and Sohag Gazi took one wicket each.