In a semi-final match of fluctuating fortunes Bellary Tuskers scored an exciting 10-run win over Mysuru Warriors in the fifth KPL at the KSCA Stadium in Rajnagar on Saturday night.
The win earned them the right to challenge Hubli Tigers in the final slated to be played under lights on Sunday. In the first semi-final of the day Tigers had beaten Belagavi Panthers by four wickets.
Mysuru, chasing 158 for a win were in control as long as Rajoo Bhatkal (47; 43b, 2x6, 3x4) and skipper Manish Pandey (12) were at the wicket. But Pandey’s dismissal in the 14th over saw Tuskers come roaring back into the match.
They got rid of Bhatkal and Jonathan in a matter of nine runs before Anirudh Joshi (30; 19b, 4x4) and K Gowtham (15 n.o; 12b) revived the innings with a 40-run stand in 23 balls. However, medium pacers Prateek Jain and Prasidh Krishna bowled tight overs at the death to close out the match.
Earlier, put into bat, Bellary Tuskers were well served by a 55-run first wicket partnership between KB Pawan (62; 47b, 1x6, 7x4) and Rohan Kadam (28; 25b, 5x4). The partnership might have been slower than desired but it gave the team a good base to build on.
Pawan kept the batting on track with deft blows. After the fall of Kadam, he received excellent support from skipper and man of the match Amit Verma (32; 25b, 1x6, 3x4) and the pair added 68 runs in 47 balls for the second wicket.
After the fall of Pawan, the rest of the batsmen failed to pile on the runs in the slog overs and Tuskers had to settle for 157 for 5 from their 20 overs. In the end, that proved to be enough to quell Mysuru Warriors’ challenge. The defeat was the Mysuru team’s first in the tournament and it ejected them from the competition.
Brief scores:
Bellary Tigers 157 for 5 in 20 overs (KB Pawan 62, Amit Verma 32, Rohan Kadam 28, J Suchith 2/31) beat Mysuru Warriors: 147 for 6 in 20 overs (Rajoo Bhatkal 47, Anirudha Joshi 30, Amit Verma 2/24) by 10 runs.
Cap Holders:
Orange Cap - M Agarwal(414 Runs)Purple Cap - J Suchith(15 Wickets)
Tomorrow's Fixtures:
Finals - Hubli Tigers vs Bellary Tuskers
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