Janakpur Bolts suffered an eight-wicket defeat against Sudurpaschim Royals in the first qualifier of the Nepal Premier League on Wednesday at TU International Cricket Ground. With this victory, Sudurpaschim Royals have secured their place in Saturday’s final, where they will face the winner of the second qualifier between Janakpur Bolts and Karnali Yaks, set to take place on Thursday.
Janakpur Bolts Struggle with the Bat
Janakpur made a notable change to their lineup, replacing Anil Sah with Akash Tripathi. Sah was ruled out of the tournament due to a finger injury sustained during an earlier match against Chitwan Rhinos. Asif Sheikh, captaining Janakpur, elected to bat first after winning the toss. However, his team managed only 139 runs in their 20 overs, leaving Sudurpaschim Royals with a modest target.
Lahiru Milantha and Asif Sheikh opened the innings but could only muster 19 runs for the first wicket. Lahiru fell to an LBW dismissal by Sudurpaschim captain Dipendra Singh Airee, while Asif followed soon after, scoring just 11 runs before being dismissed by Saif Zaib in the final over of the powerplay.
Promoted to bat at number three, Subh Kansakar looked promising, scoring 26 runs off 24 balls, including four boundaries, before being run out by a direct hit from Airee. Jimmy Neesham provided a late boost with a quickfire 45 off 23 deliveries, which included three sixes and three fours, before losing his stumps to his compatriot Scott Kuggeleijn.
Janakpur’s decision to send Arniko Yadav ahead of Neesham backfired, as Arniko struggled to score, contributing only 11 runs off 20 balls. This slowed down the innings significantly, leaving Janakpur with a below-par total.
Sudurpaschim’s spinners led the attack, with Dipendra Singh Airee taking 3/29 and Saif Zaib picking up 2/21. Medium pacers Abinash Bohara and Scott Kuggeleijn also chipped in with a wicket each.
Sudurpaschim Royals Dominate the Chase
Sudurpaschim Royals started their chase aggressively, with openers Saif Zaib and Binod Bhandari smashing boundaries early on. By the end of the powerplay, the Royals had reached 48 runs. Zaib scored a brisk 32 off 21 balls, featuring three boundaries and two sixes, before being dismissed by Kishore Mahato.
Brendon McMullen, batting at number three, contributed 25 runs and paired with Binod Bhandari for a crucial 50-run stand. Binod Bhandari, named Player of the Match, anchored the chase with an unbeaten 58 off 55 balls, hitting three sixes and three fours. He was well supported by Dipendra Singh Airee, who scored a quick 20 off 16 balls to finish the match with nine balls to spare.
Janakpur’s bowlers struggled to make an impact, with only Lalit Rajbanshi and Kishore Mahato managing a wicket each.
With this commanding performance, Sudurpaschim Royals await their opponent in the final. Janakpur Bolts will now face Karnali Yaks in the second qualifier on Thursday for one last shot at reaching the final match.
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