The Nepal Premier League witnessed a day of high-intensity cricket as Janakpur Bolts secured their third consecutive victory, while Sudurpaschim Royals made it two wins in two matches. On Thursday, Janakpur triumphed over Pokhara Avengers with a convincing seven-wicket win, while Sudurpaschim crushed Kathmandu Gurkhas by 73 runs.
Match 1: Janakpur Bolts vs Pokhara Avengers
Opting to bowl first after winning the toss, Janakpur Bolts restricted Pokhara Avengers to a moderate 138/7 in their 20 overs.
Pokhara’s Innings:
Pokhara experimented with a new opening pair as USA’s Andries Gous partnered with Dinesh Kharel. However, the pair managed only 32 runs before Gous fell to Lalit Rajbanshi, caught at deep cover by Asif Sheikh after smashing a six the previous delivery.
Captain Kushal Bhurtel’s poor form continued, contributing just six runs at No. 3. At the post-match presentation, Bhurtel defended his position, citing team balance as the reason for his shift in the batting order.
Middle-order batters Marcus Critchley (35 off 30) and Michael Leask (25 off 13) provided late impetus. Leask launched three sixes, two over mid-wicket and one through the off-side, before being dismissed by Kishore Mahato.
Lalit Rajbanshi starred with the ball for Janakpur, taking 3/31. The left-arm spinner now has seven wickets in three matches, continuing his impressive run.
Janakpur’s Chase:
Chasing 139, Janakpur lost captain Anil Sah (1) early to Bipin Khatri. However, a steady 50-run partnership between Asif Sheikh (33) and Lahiru Milantha (45) laid a solid foundation.
Despite a minor wobble at 92/3, Jimmy Neesham ensured a comfortable win with a blazing 40* off 20 balls, including five sixes, three of which sailed over mid-wicket. Janakpur reached the target in 17.1 overs.
Bowling Highlights for Pokhara:
Bipin Khatri, Kushal Bhurtel, and Michael Leask picked up a wicket each, but their efforts couldn’t prevent a second straight defeat for Pokhara, leaving them winless in the competition.
Match 2: Sudurpaschim Royals vs. Kathmandu Gurkhas
Sudurpaschim Royals continued their dominant form, defeating Kathmandu Gurkhas comprehensively.
Sudurpaschim’s Innings:
Put into bat, Sudurpaschim posted a challenging total of 167/7. Brendon McMullen (53 off 40) and Binod Bhandari (35 off 28) added 58 runs for the second wicket. McMullen’s knock featured four sixes and three boundaries.
After the fall of McMullen and Bhandari in quick succession, captain Dipendra Singh Airee played a pivotal role, smashing 43 off 25 balls. Airee’s efforts ensured Sudurpaschim reached a competitive score despite minimal contributions from the lower order. Rashid Khan was the pick of the bowlers for Kathmandu, taking 2/20 in his four overs.
Kathmandu’s Collapse:
Chasing 168, Kathmandu Gurkhas faltered badly, and bowled out for a mere 94. The standout performer was Sudurpaschim’s 18-year-old left-arm spinner, Naren Saud, who scalped a sensational 5/19. Fresh from his heroics in Nepal U19’s Asia Cup victory against Afghanistan, Saud dismantled the Gurkhas lineup.
This marked the tournament’s second five-wicket haul, both coming against Kathmandu Gurkhas. Saud completed his fifer by dismissing Shahab Alam, replicating Sohail Tanveer’s earlier feat.
Kathmandu’s batting showed no resistance, with none of the batters managing a significant contribution.
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