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That concludes our coverage of this contest but there's more action lined up with the Mysore Warriors facing the Shivamogga Lions at this very venue in about 45 minutes' time from now. Do switch tabs to follow our coverage of that contest right here on Sportskeeda. For the moment though, this is your host Sooryanarayanan Sesha taking your leave. Thank you so much for tuning in. Take care and see you around soon. Buh-bye for now!
The Tigers are back to familiar territory and with 12 points to their name, it's safe to say that they're in the semifinals now. Manish Pandey will be one happy captain and rightly so. Unfortunately for Mayank Agarwal and the Bengaluru Blasters, it's the exact opposite. The curtains might have come down on their campaign for all practical purposes now but they will certainly want to keep improving in the coming games and entertain their fans.
Manish Pandey (Hubli Tigers captain): Last game, we rested a couple of important guys who've been doing really well for us because I thought we were in a position where we could. Looking back today I think the guys did their best today. The way we started with the ball wasn't good but to still restrict them to 188 was a really good effort by the bowlers. I think the way Taha and Luvnith have been batting has been unbelievable. It was just too easy for us after the powerplay. Hoping for greater games ahead. (On winning by big margins consistently) This is what we've been talking about - if you're playing well, try and play some convincing cricket and beat teams convincingly. At the same time, trying to be humble - taking it one game at a time, trying to display our best character and play well.
Mohammed Taha is the Player of the Match for his stunning 35-ball 66.
Match Summary: Hubli Tigers beat Bengaluru Blasters by 6 wickets.
Mohammed Taha 66 (35) | KC Cariappa 3/31 (4) Mayank Agarwal 68 (38) | Sarfaraz Ashraf 2/34 (4)
A target of 189 is never an easy one to gun down even on a track as good as the one we saw today. But the Hubli Tigers barely broke a sweat while being helped along the way by some very ordinary bowling and fielding on the part of the Bengaluru Blasters, who had a solid score to play with for a change thanks to superb half-centuries from Mayank Agarwal and Dega Nischal.
Luvnith Sisodia came out and picked up from where he left off in the last game. But when Mohammed Taha was given a lifeline by Shubhang Hegde, it spelled doom for the Blasters. Some very ordinary bowling was duly cashed in upon as Taha, despite the loss of Sisodia, clobbered the ball all around the park en route to the fastest half-century of the season. KL Shrijith played perfect second fiddle to him while running brilliantly between the wickets himself and at no point were the Tigers behind the eight-ball.
The Blasters were the only team playing catch-up and just when they thought they had Shrijith caught at short fine leg, it turned out that Sarfaraz Ashraf had overstepped. Mind you, Ashraf was the man who returned to dismiss Shrijith after Shubhang also redeemed himself to cling onto a simple catch offered by Taha. But both batters had done their job to leave skipper Manish Pandey with the task of seeing the team through.
And that's exactly what transpired. Mohith BA may not have capitalized on a positive start but Pandey swiftly got the job done in the company of Praveen Dubey. A couple of sloppy fielding errors and a dropped chance towards the end, along with T Pradeep taking a blow to his fingers and walking off the field, summed up the Blasters' season in many ways as they've now slumped to their seventh defeat on the trot. Stick around for the presentation...
Far too many mishaps on the field and it's hard to pocket a win in such a case. The Bengaluru Blasters' woes continue as the Hubli Tigers bounce back to wrap up a comprehensive win with nine deliveries to spare.
18.3 L R Kumar to Praveen Dubey, DROPPED! FOUR! And a poetic finish to the game in a way! Full in length outside the off stump as Dubey swings powerfully across the line. Does not middle it as deep mid-wicket dives forward. Bursts out of his hands before it trickles to the ropes and it brings a clinical run chase to an end. Hubli Tigers return to winning ways with a 6-wicket victory!
18.2 L R Kumar to Praveen Dubey, gets the wide yorker right again. Dubey jams his bat down but shovels it back to the bowler off the toe-end
18.1 L R Kumar to Manish Pandey, yorker well outside the off stump. Dug out to long off for a solitary run
L R Kumar [2.0-0-24-0] is back into the attack
Once again, the Hubli Tigers skipper is turning in a chanceless little innings to take his side home. A sixth win is in sight and it's just a question of when and not if. Hubli Tigers require 4 runs off 12 deliveries at 2.00 RPO.
18
overs
185/4score
1wd
2
1wd
4
2
2
4
1
runs
Manish Pandey*
34(21)
Praveen Dubey
4(4)
Gaurav K
0/34
17.6 Gaurav K to Manish Pandey, pace off on a full length at the stumps. Pandey clips it on the up to deep mid-wicket and crosses over
17.5 Gaurav K to Manish Pandey, FOUR! TOO EASY! Too straight in line on a length and Pandey swivels to help it backward of square on the leg-side. Picks the gap between short 45 and deep backward square leg en route to the fence
That's as poor an effort as they come. Total miscommunication between short fine leg and deep square leg who converged and made a meal of it.
17.4 Gaurav K to Manish Pandey, length delivery angling into the off stump. Pandey stands tall and jabs it square on the leg-side for what should have been a single. But a real sloppy effort sees the batters bolt back for the second
Gaurav K [2.0-0-27-0] will complete the over
Very harsh to count that as a drop alright. Pradeep is in pain and Pandey was quick to put his hand up while he turned around for the second run. Out comes the physio to tend to the bowler - luckily, it's his non-bowling hand but he's in a lot of pain here. Pradeep is going off the field too.
17.3 T Pradeep to Manish Pandey, OUCH! Full toss well outside the off stump. Pandey absolutely butchers it back where it came from as Pradeep sticks a hand out. Pings off his fingertips and rolls to long on as the batters run two and the bowler is clearly in pain here!
17.2 T Pradeep to Manish Pandey, FOUR! INTO THE GAP! Full and tailing into the off stump. Pandey holds a still base after taking a step forward to drag it aerially over mid-wicket. Bisects the gap between the boundary riders to perfection as it thuds into the practice pitches and clears the ropes