Hubli Tigers were a force to reckon with as a bowling unit but their batting left a lot to be desired. And yet, they were able to chase down a lowly VJD revised 124-run target off the final delivery against Bijapur Bulls in the Karnataka Premier League, here yesterday.

With the game reduced to 19 overs a side due to rain, Bulls put up a below-par 119 for 7 in their quota of overs despite a fighting 67 from Rajoo Bhatkal. The Tigers, in response, stuttered aplenty before David Mathias (20 not out) struck a boundary and a six off the last two deliveries in the final over to take them through. Tigers finished on 125 for 7 in 19 overs for a three-wicket win.

Unlike on Wednesday where they relied heavily on their batting to scale down Belagavi Panthers’ 180, R. Vinay Kumar’s men kept the lid on their opposition from the opening over after electing to field first.

The Bulls, who scored 144 for 2 in 14.4 overs to win over Mysuru Warriors only yesterday, couldn’t have been slower off the block. They scored a mere 15 runs in the first five overs and added a paltry 34 in the next five. Much to their displeasure, the remaining overs weren’t too forthcoming either. To dampen the mood, the rain came down and cut the game short.

Bhatkal’s 53-ball stay gave the total a shot in the arm after being dropped on 27 by Pravin Dubey off of his own bowling. But without much support from the other end, Bulls didn’t get far. Though the revised total wore a slightly healthier look, it wasn’t a target the Bulls would have been proud of.

Vidyadhar Patil was the pick of the bowlers, picking up three wickets for 18 runs, including two for two in the 18th over. Mitrakant Yadav finished with just one wicket but he gave away only 17 runs and his three overs at the start were innings-altering.

Though the chase was seemingly easy, Tigers’ show in the Power Play period opened the game up. They lost three wickets for 41 runs, and not much later, they were reduced to 48 for 5 inside eight overs.

Pravin Dubey struck a useful 27, but with the equation down to 11 needed from the last over, it was always going to be difficult with Mathias and Aditya Somanna (14 not out) at the crease.

To make matters worse, only one run came from the first three deliveries. Mathias, however, picked up a two and then used his big frame to inspire the Tigers.

Brief Scores

Bijapur Bulls 119 for 7 in 19 overs (Rajoo Bhatkal 67; R. Vinay Kumar 2-18, Vidyadhar Patil 3-18) vs (revised VJD target:124) Hubli Tigers 125 for 7 in 19 overs (Pravin Dubey 27, David Mathias 20 not out; Suraj Kamath 3-12).

Bengaluru Blasters 93 for 8 in 16 overs (Rohan Kadam 22; Abrar Kazi 3-15) beat (revised VJD total 99 in 16 overs) Bellary Tuskers 55 for 5 in 8.2 overs (Abhishek Reddy 30; Manoj S Bhandage 2-17, Bharath Dhuri 2-9).