PKL: Bengaluru Bulls beat Bengal Warriors

Nagpur Aug 9 (IANS) Bengaluru Bulls beat Bengal Warriors 31-25 to take the top spot in Zone B of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) here on Wednesday.

Ajay Kumar and Rohit Kumar scored nine and six points respectively to lead Bengaluru to a superb victory. For Bengal Warriors Jang Kun Lee scored eight points but that wasn t enough as they crashed to their first defeat of the campaign.

In Zone B Bengaluru Bulls now top the table with 19 points after playing six matches. Bengal are now fourth with 11 points after three matches.

Rohit opened Bengaluru s account with a raid in the first minute. Bengal had to wait till the third minute to get going as Maninder Singh scored with a raid. Bengaluru Bulls led 5-2 in the fourth minute as they sent Maninder to the bench.

Bengal scored their first tackle point in the seventh minute to trail 3-5. A couple of empty raids followed by both teams as Bengal Warriors levelled the game at 5-5 in the 10th minute.

Jang Kun Lee scored with a raid as Bengal Warriors led 8-6 after 12 minutes. The threat of an all out loomed large but Bengaluru came back to lead 9-8 after 13 minutes.

Bengaluru raiders struggled in the first half as they scored just three raid points in 16 minutes. With the score at 9-9 Bengaluru pulled off a super tackle.

Bengaluru let 12-9 after 18 minutes as Ajay scored a raid point. In an evenly poised half it was the Bengaluru that led 12-10 at half time.

The second half began with Bengal scoring two points in two minutes as they levelled the game at 12-12 and Bengaluru were reduced to just one man. Harish scored two points for Bengaluru Bulls as they averted an all out to lead 14-12 after 23 minutes. An all out was finally inflicted by Bengal in 24th minute to lead 16-15.

Bengaluru tied the game at 16-16 in the 27th minute. Ajay turned the match on its head as he scored four points with a super raid in 28th minute to give the hosts 19-16 lead.

Bengaluru inflicted an all out in the 30th minute to lead 24-18. Ajay scored his eighth point in 33rd minute to give Bulls 26-20 lead.

With less then five minutes left Bengal scored with a tackle point to trail 21-28. Bengal reduced the deficit to five points in the 38th minute as they trailed 23-28.

Bengaluru then scored with a tackle point in the 39th minute as they led 30-23. The match ended 31-25 in favour of Bengaluru as they coasted to a comfortable victory in the end.

--IANS
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