Diamonds down Bulls in high-scoring game

In a high-scoring encounter of close margins, Shamanoor Devangere Diamonds justified their position at the top of the table with a well-planned chase to overcome a target of 175 with two balls to spare against Bijapur Bulls in Bangalore.

Bulls' batsmen accelerated through their innings after openers Ravi Kane and Mithun Beerala added 59 in 44 balls. Devraj Patil hit 27 off 16 balls to ensure there was no lull in the middle overs before Jayprakash Shetty took off towards the end, smashing two sixes and six fours in his 29-ball 51. DC Rajesh claimed a hat-trick in the final over as Bulls lost some momentum. It was to prove crucial in the end analysis.

Diamonds came out throwing punches in all directions, Pavan Deshpande setting the tone with 52 off 32 balls. Mayank Agarwal blitzed 29 off 15 and, at 98 for 1 after 9.4 overs, the stage was set for a close finish. Three quick wickets in the middle did not deter Bharath Kumar who smote three sixes and three fours in his 29-ball 40. CM Gautam played sensibly at the other end, and along with Mohanram Nidesh, took his side home after Kumar's exit.

Bangalore Provident (Rural) turned in an all-round performance to beat Mysore Maharaajas by five wickets in a 17 overs-a-side game at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Mysore lost an early wicket after being inserted, but Sudhir Rao and Nitin Bille set things right with a 53-run stand in 8.4 overs. Rao, who scored 41 off 32 balls, was the first of two run-out victims as Bangalore Provident clawed back into the game. However, despite left-arm spinner Arjun Shetty's double strikes, Mysore finished on a high to reach 130 for 6. Bangalore Provident's reply was set up by openers Maniunath Manjunath and Thilak Naidu who raised 49 in five overs. Amit Verma then guided the chase along with the lower middle-order, and the winning runs were scored with three balls to spare.