KPL 2015 Match 17: Namma Shivamogga v Belagavi Panthers, Review: Panthers 1st team to enter the qualifiers

KPL 2015 Match 17: Namma Shivamogga v Belagavi Panthers, Review: Panthers 1st team to enter the qualifiers:  Mysuru, Sept 12: A timely all-round performance by Praveen Dubey (3 for 31 and 34*) coupled with a swashbuckling 77, inclusive of five fours and an equal number of sixes from Rongsen Jonathan enabled table toppers Belagavi Panthers seal their slot in the qualifiers of the Karbonn Smart KPL 2015 at the SDNR Wadiyar Ground here on Saturday.

The Panthers chased down Namma Shivamogga’s 160 losing five wickets to take their points tally to nine from five matches. They are still unbeaten in the tournament.

The Panthers were at one point struggling until Jonathan was joined by Dubey. With the fall of skipper Vinay Kumar on the team’s total at 92 the Panthers were put on the back-foot. But the fifth wicket pair went hammer and tongs on the Shivamogga bowlers squeezing 69 runs off just 4.3 overs.

Jonathan showed no mercy on the bowlers collecting 50 runs through boundaries and Dubey was not far behind as he took just 13 balls for his unbeaten 34.

Earlier, Shivamogga got off to a blazing start through opening batsman Saadiq Kirmani who smashed a 40-ball 56. However, the fall of three top order batsmen, Stuart Binny (7), Shreyas Gopal (0) and Sadiq with the total at 100 changed the course of the match for the vanquished.

The Panther bowlers came into their own, after those blows to the opposition, and kept a leash in the scoring.

Shivamogga managed the fighting 160 total, thanks mainly to the 28 runs stand for the unbroken eighth wicket between Aditya Sagar (15) and Bhavesh Gulecha (12).

This is Namma Shivamogga’s second loss in five outings.

“I think self belief is important and I believe in myself. I won the match for my team and my motto is self belief”, said Rongsen Jonathan after receiving the man of the match award, a cheque for rupees ten thousand.