Kathmandu:Cricnepal: Region No 6 Baitadi and Region No 4 Bhairahawa registered victories in the opening day of the U-16 National Cricket Tournament on Friday.
Baitadi defeated host Region No 3 Kathmandu by 12 runs while Bhairahawa defeated Region No 1 Biratnagar by three wickets.
In a match played at TU ground Kirtipur, Baitadi won the toss and put a big total of 210 runs losing all wickets in 35.5 overs. Bhim Sarki who scored 57 runs off 48 balls hit nine boundaries. Manoj Chand added a quick fire 22 runs off 12 balls with a boundary and two sixes.
Dipesh Poudel and Pranil Karki grabbed three wickets each while Ajay Verma and Rajkumar Karki shared two wickets each for Kathmandu.
Though having a perfect start with 82-run partnership for the first wicket, Jeevan Lamasl lost his wicket for 43 runs. Mohammad Shaid and Adil Khan shared 58-run partnership for the second wicket.
Kathmandu kept on losing regular wickets as Adil Khan went run out in the 28th over. Khan scored 60 runs off 69 balls with six boundaries and Shahid scored 23 runs off 41 balls. Kathmandu could only make 198 runs losing nine wickets in 40 overs.
Man-of-the-match Bhim Sarki and Dipendra Chand grabbed three wickets each while Bikash Bam picked up a wicket.
In another match played at Pulchowk Engineering College Ground , Biratnagar opted to bat first and scored 165 runs losing all wickets in 34.1 overs after they won the toss.
Opener Mukund Yadav and Rajiv BK shared 58-runs partnership for Biratnagar. BK (13) was back to the pavilion in the 10th over. Yadav scored 32 runs off 32 balls with six boundaries. Skipper Mayanand Chaudhary scored 36 runs off 42 balls with three boundaries and a six.
Iklakh Ahmed and Rupesh Bastola grabbed three wickets each for Bhairahawa while Bishal Sunuwar, Shankar Rana and Kushal Bhurtel took a wicket each.
In chasing the total of 166 runs, Bhairahawa did not start well. A 91-run partnership for the eighth wicket between Shankar Rana and Rupesh Bastola guided Bhairahawa to victory. Rana, the star and man of the match scored 70 runs off 63 balls with six boundaries and a huge six while Bastola scored 38 runs off 43 balls with four boundaries.
Mehboob Babu Karki grabbed three wickets while Kalicharan Yadhav took two wickets for Biratnagar.
On Saturday, Region Number 3 Kathmandu will face Region Number 7 Janakpur at TU Ground while Region Number 5 Nepalgunj will play Region Number 8 Pokhara at Engineering Ground, Pulchowk.
