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Bengaluru Strikers held their nerve to defeat Chennai Singams by four wickets while Ahmedabad Lions edged Delhi Superheros by 13 runs in their Indian Street Premier League (ISPL) Season 3 match at the Lalbhai Contractor Stadium on Thursday.
Bengaluru Strikers defeated Chennai Singams by four wickets in a low-scoring encounter to claim their first win of the season. Chasing a modest target of 58, Bengaluru crossed the finish line with seven balls to spare, ending at 61 for 6 in 8.5 overs in the second match of the evening, as per an ISPL press release. After being asked to bat, Chennai Singams struggled to generate momentum against a disciplined Bengaluru bowling attack. Opener Jagannath Sarkar was the lone warrior for his side, anchoring the innings with a gritty 32 off 28 balls, including three boundaries and one six. However, he received little support from the other end as wickets fell at regular intervals. Vijay Kumar was the pick of the bowlers for Bengaluru, delivering a miserly spell of 2 for 6 in his two overs. He was well supported by Badi Rajesh Narayan, who claimed 2 for 14, and Bhushan Gole, who conceded just 3 runs in his two overs at an economy rate of 1.50. Chennai eventually finished on 57 for 6 in their allotted 10 overs. In reply, Bengaluru Strikers got off to a brisk start courtesy of Fardeen Kazi, who scored a rapid 16 off 10 balls with three boundaries. Despite losing wickets in clusters during the middle overs, Sumeet Dhekale steadied the ship with a composed unbeaten 15 off 16 balls. Jagannath Sarkar followed up his batting effort with a spirited bowling performance for Chennai, taking 2 for 9, while Ankur Singh chipped in with 1 for 9. However, the target proved too small to defend, and Bengaluru Strikers completed the chase in the ninth over to secure the victory. Earlier in the day, Ahmedabad Lions produced a disciplined bowling performance to defend a modest total of 74. Zaid Khan was the architect of the victory for Ahmedabad, claiming a decisive four-wicket haul to dismantle the Delhi chase. Batting first, Ahmedabad Lions struggled to find momentum against a tight Delhi bowling attack. The top order faltered early, with openers Sikandarbhai Bhatti and Birendra Ram departing cheaply. It was Sanjay Kanojjiya who anchored the innings, scoring a crucial 34 off 20 balls. His knock, which included three sixes, was the only significant resistance as wickets fell regularly at the other end. Delhi's Padmesh Mhatre was effective with the ball, returning figures of 2/11, while Dhiraj Bhoir choked the run flow with an economical spell of 0/5 in his two overs. The Lions eventually finished on 74/7 in their allotted 10 overs. In reply, Delhi Superheros faced an immediate collapse. Zaid Khan ripped through the batting lineup, taking 4 wickets for just 8 runs in 1.3 overs. Prathamesh Pawar offered some stability with a steady 22 off 20 balls, and Padmesh Mhatre briefly threatened to change the game with a blistering 15 off 6 balls. However, the lack of partnerships proved fatal for Delhi. Nizam Ali supported Zaid well, picking up 2/13, while Jignesh Patel and Farman Khan chipped in with a wicket each. The Delhi innings folded for 61 in 9.3 overs, falling short of the target. With this win, Ahmedabad sits at the top of the points table with 10 points (5 wins, 1 loss). On Friday, Tiigers of Kolkata face Majhi Mumbai in the first match of the day at 5:30 PM, and Bengaluru Strikers will take on Srinagar Ke Veer in the second match at 8:00 PM. Brief scores:Match 1: Ahmedabad Lions 74/7 in 10 overs (Sanjay Kanojjiya 34, Pradeep Patil 9, Padmesh Mhatre 2/11, Aakash Singh 1/13) bt Delhi Superheros 61/10 in 9.3 overs (Prathamesh Pawar 22, Padmesh Mhatre 15, Zaid Khan 4/8, Nizam Ali 2/13) by 13 runs. Match 2: Bengaluru Strikers 61/6 in 8.5 overs (Fardeen Kazi 16, Sumeet Dhekale 15*, Jagannath Sarkar 2/9, Ankur Singh 1/9) bt Chennai Singams 57/6 in 10 overs (Jagannath Sarkar 32, Ketan Mhatre 5, Vijay Kumar 2/6, Badi Rajesh Narayan 2/14) by 4 wickets. (ANI)
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