Mangalore United emerge champions of MPL 4.0

MANGALURU: Mangaluru:

Mangalore United

held sway in DNI

Mangalore Premier League

(

MPL

) organized by Brand Mission Events, Mangalore Occassionals & Sea Bird Cricket Academy, winning the title in its maiden appearance in the fourth edition of T20 Cricket tournament. In an anti-climactic final played at Dr B R Ambedkar Stadium, Panambur under lights on Sunday, MLA B A Mohiuddin Bawa owned team ran rough shod over

Karkala Gladiators

racing to an 8-wicket win.


Batting first on winning the toss, Karkala Gladiators were bundled out for 71 in the 17th over. Barring a fighting 29 by Nithin Mulki, none of the Gladiators batsmen could stand up to some fine exhibition of medium pace bowling by United bowlers led by skipper Akshay Ballal (3-18) and Naga Bharat (3-10). Akshay ended the run chase with a quick fire 48 in 30 balls taking his side home in the 10th over. Roshan Shetty (17) too supported Akshay before his run out.

The only consolation for Karkala Gladiators was to see their all-rounder Nithin Mulki, who played a stellar role in their knock-out matches bag the UM Renegade Commando, a US made motorcycle presented to man-of-the series. Akshay, adjudged man-of-the-match for his all-round show in the finals, also won the purple cap with a tournament haul of 16 wickets. Nihal Ullal (318 runs) bagged the orange cap. McNeil Hadley Noronha was adjudged upcoming player.

Ali Warriors received the fair play team award. Alex Lewis of DNI presented the awards. Earlier, in an exhibition match between Coastalwood XI and MPL Organisers XI, latter coasted to a 4-wicket win in 15-overs-a-side match. Coastalwood XI comprising players from the local Tulu film industry scored 138 for 5, which the MPL Organisers XI overhauled with a ball to spare. Sachindra Shetty for Coastalwood and Imthiyaz for the Organisers XI were the star players.

Brief Scores:
Final: Karkala Gladiators: 72 all out in 16.1 overs (Nithin Mulki 29, Suhel Semitha 11; Naga Bharat 3-10, Akshay Ballal 3-18, Lokesh Gowda 2-13) lost to Mangalore United: 74/2 in 9.1 overs (Akshay Ballal 48 n.o., Roshan Shetty 17; Shashi Shekar 1-16) MoM: Akshay Ballal;

Man-of-the-Series: Nithin Mulki; Fair Play award: Ali Warriors; Orange Cap: Nihal Ullal; Purple Cap: Akshay Ballal; Emerging player of the tournament: McNeil Hadley Noronha