Sudurpaschim Province upset the departmental team Nepal Police Club, while Madhesh Province secured their semi-final spot in the ongoing KP Oli Cup T20 tournament in Pokhara.
Chasing 159 runs set by the Police in Group ‘C’ match at Pokhara Stadium, Sudurpaschim cruised to victory with four wickets in hand and eight balls to spare. Scorecard
With Sudurpaschim’s triumph, all three teams in Group ‘C’ – Police, Sudurpaschim, and Madhesh Province – ended with two points. Madhesh Province progressed to the semi-finals on the basis of a superior net run rate. After winning one and losing one match in two games, Madhesh’s net run rate stood at 1.472, while Police’s was 1.084, and Sudurpaschim’s was -3.229. In their previous group encounters, Madhesh had defeated Sudurpaschim by eight wickets, while Police had outclassed Madhesh by 57 runs.
Pursuing the target of 159 runs, Sudurpaschim found themselves teetering at 46/5. However, Kiran Thagunna, batting at number six, played an aggressive half-century knock to guide his team to victory. He remained unbeaten on 51 runs off 34 balls, including four fours and two sixes. Narendra Saud contributed with 39 runs off 30 balls. Thagunna and Saud shared a 93-run partnership for the sixth wicket. Narayan Joshi chipped in with 17 unbeaten runs off just seven balls, smashing two fours and a six.
Police bowler Rashid Khan claimed three wickets, conceding 27 runs in his four-over spell. While Sunil Dhamala and Sagar Dhakal picked up one wicket each, the team’s two main bowlers, Karan KC and Lalit Rajbanshi, failed to take wickets. Karan conceded 37 runs in 3.4 overs, while Lalit gave away 29 runs in his three overs.
Police, who had won the toss and elected to bat first, posted 158 runs for the loss of four wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Opener Kushal Bhurtel top-scored with 67 runs, laced with five fours and five sixes, off 51 deliveries. Fellow opener Sunil Dhamala contributed 42 runs off 40 balls, and Arjun Saud added 20 runs off 17 balls.
Sudur Paschim bowler Bikash Agri bagged two wickets, while Bhoj Raj Bhatta and Basant Khatri shared a wicket each.
Army Seals Semi-Final Berth
In the other match played today, Tribhuvan Army Club secured their semi-final berth by defeating Province-1 by 39 runs in Group ‘D’ encounter. Earlier, Army had defeated the host team Madan Bhandari Sports Academy ‘Blue’ by 110 runs.
Chasing a mammoth target of 187 runs set by Army, Koshi Pradesh were bundled out for 147 runs in 18.2 overs. Scorecard
Koshi Pradesh opener Sonu Ansari scored 44 runs off 33 balls, including six fours and two sixes, but his efforts were in vain. Samir Karki chipped in with 34 runs, while Sujan Thapalia and Minash Thapa contributed 21 and 16 runs, respectively.
Army bowlers Sompal Kami and Bibek Yadav claimed two wickets each, while Jitendra Mukhiya, Basir Ahamad, Shahab Alam, and Rohit Poudel picked up one wicket apiece.
Batting first after winning the toss, Army amassed 186 runs for the loss of seven wickets in their 20 overs.
Bhim Sharki led Army’s run-scoring with 53 runs, including three fours and five sixes, off just 24 balls. Opener Santosh Karki made 50 runs off 41 balls, studded with five fours and two sixes. Rohit Paudel and captain Binod Bhandari contributed 23 and 17 runs, respectively. Koshi Pradesh bowler Sarvan Yadav claimed three wickets, while Kamal Khatri bagged two wickets.
Semi-Finalists Determined
Bagmati Province from Group ‘A’, Armed Police Force from Group ‘B’, Madhesh Province from Group ‘C’, and Tribhuvan Army Club from Group ‘D’ have progressed to the semi-finals of the tournament.
The semi-finals will be played on Thursday, November 30, with Bagmati Province taking on Tribhuvan Army Club and Armed Police Force facing Madhesh
The competition offers a significant prize pool, with the winner receiving a medal, trophy, and 5 lakh cash, while the runner-up will get 250,000 cash. The Player of the Series will be awarded Rs 30,000 in cash, and the Best Batsman and Bowler will each receive Rs 20,000. The Man of the Match will receive Rs 5,000 in cash. The competition is set to conclude on the 15th.
( Photo Courtesy – Pokhara Sports )
