KATHMANDU: Lalitpur won the Region-III (Kathmandu) Selection Twenty20 Cricket Tournament despite their three-wicket loss to Kathmandu here at the TU Stadium today.
Lalitpur and Nuwakot finished the five-team tournament with six points each but the former became the champions on better net run-rate. Kathmandu finished third with four points, while Bhaktapur and Tribhuvan University (TU) earned two points each.
On Wednesday, Lalitpur suffered their first defeat at the hands of Kathmandu. Batting first, Lalitpur scored 111-9 in 20 overs, while Kathmandu surpassed the total losing seven wickets in 19.4 overs.
Pawan Sharma top scored for Lalitpur with 36 off 38 balls including three fours, while Rajesh Pulami scored 13-ball 18 hitting three fours. Milan Thapa and Julian Maharjan scored 14 runs each to the Lalitpur. Rupesh Shrivastav and Ram Chaudhary took two wickets each for Kathmandu.
In reply, Bijay Gautam scored 33-ball 37 including five fours and a six that also earned him the man-of-the-match award. Indra Kamal Manandhar struck two boundaries in his 21-ball 20. Rupesh scored 19 off 14 balls hitting a four and a six, whereas Prajesh remained unbeaten on 14 off just seven balls that included a boundary and a six. For Lalitpur, Rajesh Pulami took two wickets.
Earlier, Nuwakot defeated Bhaktapur by five wickets. Prabin Joshi scored a half century as Bhaktapur scored 123-4 in 20 overs, but Nuwakot rode on Pramod Basnet’s half century to reach 124-5 in 19 overs.
Except for Prabin, who scored 52-ball 51, Abhaya Poudel (run-a-ball 31) and Sanjay Basnet (10), other Bhaktapur batsmen failed to score in double figures. In reply, Pramod hit three fours and as many sixes in his 47-ball unbeaten 51, while opener Rikesh Lama scored a quick fire 48 off 40 balls including six fours and two sixes. Prabin Joshi of Bhaktapur returned to take 4-12 off four overs and also earned the man-of-the-match award.
Bhaktapur’s Prabin Joshi — who scored 102 runs and took seven wickets — was named the player of the series, while Lalitpur’s Manoj Sood, who scored 143 runs in four innings including a half century, was declared the best batsman. Sudeep Sharma of TU, who claimed nine wickets in four matches, won the best bowler’s award.
Cricket Association of Nepal President Binay Raj Pandey, Vice-president Upendra Prasad Bhattarai, Member Binod Raj Rajbhandari, Region-III Secretary Naresh Rana, Region-III Member Shyam Son Jung Thapa and Bhaktapur Cricket Association Member Rupak Ranjit gave away prizes to the winners.
HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE
