Mysuru Warriors too good for Bengaluru Blasters

Add as a preferred source on Google

Bengaluru, September 2: Mysuru Warriors went through the tricky contours of an eight-over-a-side match to emerge a 38-run winner over Bengaluru Blasters in a Karnataka Premier League match at the M Chinnaswamy stadium here on a rain-drenched Saturday.

The second match of the KPL started at 9.45 pm after rain lashed the city throughout the day at varying intensity. That the match could be played even in a truncated form was a tribute to the excellent drainage facility in the stadium and the hard work of the ground staff.

The Warriors made impact first with the bat scoring a more than competitive 84 for five in eight overs after Warriors elected to field. India batsman Karun Nair might have been the star attraction in their batting line-up but on this day all he could manage was a patchy run-a-ball 14.

Two lesser known players - Arjun Hoysala and SP Manjunath - gave impetus to their innings with little grenade blasts. Opener Arjun (31, 18b, 2x4, 2x6) changed the course of a stuttering Warriors innings with two sixes off left-arm spinner Mitrakant Yadav - a slog sweep and a well-timed lofted shot over mid-on. Arjun was later declared man of the match.

Manjunath was even swifter in his effect scoring 18 off seven balls with a four and two sixes. His knock ensured that Blasters would have to keep the run rate of their chase above 10.

However, the city side was never in the hunt managing just 46 for six in the end. Each one of the Warriors bowlers hit the perfect length, drying up the big hits.
Medium pacer and player of the match SL Akshay took three wickets conceding just six runs robbing Blasters of momentum.

"It was tough because I need to take on the bowlers right from the start and I am glad that it came off," said Arjun.

Winning captain Karun Nair said: "Kudos to ground staff to make this match happen. It was a total team effort and of course it was an eight over game. We were just taking one ball at a time without keeping any target in mind."

The KPL now shifts to Mysuru with Warriors taking on Bijapur Bulls on Monday (September 4).