KATHMANDU: A bowler managed to pull a hat-trick, first in three years, in a national cricket tournament on Wednesday. Manoj Mandal from Biratnagar took the hat-trick against Janakpur in the ongoing Pepsi Standard Chartered One-Day National Cricket Tournament.
Earlier, Sanjam Regmi had taken a hat-trick in 2065 BS during the fifth national games against Biratnagar.
Prahlad Sah was caught behind in the fifth ball of 27th overs and in the sixth ball Mandal trapped Raj Mohammad leg before wicket (LBW). Mandal bowled out Rahul Pratap Singh in the first ball of 29th over. Mandal went on to take four wickets.
Biratnagar coach Pradeep Raj Pandey said that Mandal got the opportunity to play Wednesday´s match as he wanted to test new players. “We are already out of the tournament so I thought about trying new players. I picked Mandal for the match and made the best of the opportunity he got,” said Pandey.
Mandal had earlier taken two hat-tricks while playing for the local club Gunras Pustaklaye at the local level tournaments. “As I took two wickets in the 27th over, I was confident that I could take another one in my next over,” said Mandal. “With this hat-trick, I am confident of a better performance in the upcoming T20 National Tournament.”
Mandal can swing the ball well and utilized it against Janakpur at the Engineering Ground.
He was a member of the Biratnagar squad that won the T20 national championship last season. Mandal had not bowled a single ball in the previous season as senior players like Mehabob Alam, Manjeet Shrestha and Santosh Baral were in the squad.
Republica Online
