The commentary is not available for this match. Please check the scorecard for latest updates.
Right then. Hubli Tigers get their second win of the tournament after an excellent all-around performance today. As for the Shivamogga Strikers, they still wait for their first win of the tournament. The road gets tougher ahead and both sides will need to keep racking up wins if they are to advance to the playoffs. The battle heats up in the next game as the Mysore Warriors battle it out against Bengaluru Blasters. You can switch tabs to catch all the live action from that contest. That's all from myself, Pratyush Rohra, and my partner-in-crime, Sooryanarayanan Sesha. See ya!
Abhimanyu Mithun (Hubli Tigers Captain): Yesterday after the match we had a bowlers' meeting and spoke about how we need to attack. We focused on attacking and wanted to take early wickets and we're very happy we did. We were trying to put pressure on them to score more runs. We bowled more dot balls and it worked today. (On Taha's innings) He's a big match-winner - he's a senior now in the circuit and showed us how good he is. (Thoughts after losing two early wickets?) We had two senior batters out there and we knew they would do the job for us.
Mohammed Taha is the Player of the Match. Here is what he has to say: We were just looking to hang in there after losing two wickets early. We knew it will become easy later on with the way we were batting. Been part of this team for a long time and it's nice to contribute.
Hubli Tigers won by 6 wickets!
Mohammed Taha - 78 * (49) | V Koushik - 3/25 Krishnamurthy Siddharth - 62 * (53) | Stalin Hoover - 1/13
Right then. That was one of the more comfortable victories the Hubli Tigers have had this season. Of course, it's only their second win of this season but it's enough to keep their campaign alive.
It was set up by their bowlers, who did a splendid job to restrict Shivamogga to 133. Mithun and Koushik were the wreckers in chief with the ball as they ran through the top-order with Siddharth's half-century and Avinash's spirited innings not proving to be enough for Shivamogga to keep Hubli at bay.
It wasn't all smooth sailing for the Tigers though. They found themselves in a spot of bother at 7-2 but the century stand between Taha and Srinivas ensured there were no further hiccups. The former played aggressor while the latter kept ticking along to take the game away from the Strikers.
They got a couple of wickets at the backend of the innings but it was too late for them by then. Taha carried his bat till the end and fittingly scored the winning runs to get his side over the line and their second win in the tournament. Stick around for the presentations.
17.2 Utham Aiyappa to Mohammed Taha, THAT'S THAT! TIGERS WIN! Full and angling into the off-stump, Taha chips it towards mid-on as he's forced back in his crease before running a single as it falls shy of the fielder. It's been a clinical display all the way and fittingly, it's Taha who has the last say in the contest. Hubli Tigers beat Shivamogga Strikers by 6 wickets with 16 deliveries to spare!
Scores are level!
17.1 Utham Aiyappa to Mohammed Taha, FOUR! SMART WORK! Loads of width again on this short delivery, Taha arches back and scythes it late past backward point to pick his spot and level the scores in the process.
17.1 Utham Aiyappa to Mohammed Taha, WIDE! Full and speared down leg past Taha's attempted no-look whip-flick over fine leg. Aiyappa must reload!
Utham Aiyappa [2.0-0-15-1] is back into the attack
Right. Hubli Tigers are one big hit away from sealing the deal. Can Taha end it in fitting fashion?
17
overs
128/4score
0
1
W
4
0
0
runs
Mohammed Taha
73(47)
Tushar Singh*
4(3)
Stalin Hoover
1/13
16.6 Stalin Hoover to Tushar Singh, slower length delivery on the line of off stump, Tushar hangs back and knocks it to short mid-wicket.
16.5 Stalin Hoover to Tushar Singh, full and slanting into middle and leg, zero footwork from Tushar as he cops it on the pad with the ball nipping back in. A failed attempt at a flick there.
16.4 Stalin Hoover to Tushar Singh, FOUR! NICELY DONE! That's the kind of form he's been in all campaign. Back of a length slower delivery, room on offer and Tushar opens the face with minimal footwork to place it right into the gap between backward point and short third man. Brings it down to just one big hit away now for the Tigers!
Tushar Singh, RHB, comes to the crease
Golden duck for Mithun. Saving his best form for another day, perhaps.
16.3 Stalin Hoover to Abhimanyu Mithun, GONE FIRST BALL! The change of pace deceives Mithun as it lands in the arc at the stumps. He gets across looking to flick it over mid-wicket, only for the top-edge to balloon a mile into the sky before Gowtham runs forward at cover and gobbles up a lollipop. A first ball duck then for the Tigers skipper! Abhimanyu Mithun c Krishnappa Gowtham b Stalin Hoover 0 (1b 0x4 0x6)
16.2 Stalin Hoover to Mohammed Taha, slower back of a length delivery with loads of width on the offing. Taha waits and cuts late towards deep backward point to bring his skipper on strike for the first time.
16.1 Stalin Hoover to Mohammed Taha, slants away wide of off on a back of a length radar, Taha sticks his bat out and steers it towards cover.