Region number 8 Pokhara and defending Champion APF started off Pepsi Standard Chartered One Day National Tournament with a win, wining their opening matches played today
Pokhara beat Baitadi
Region number 8 Pokhara defeated Region Number 6 Baitadi by 28 runs.in the match played at TU international Cricket Ground Batting first Pokhara posted 201 losing nine wickets runs thanks to a half century by player of the match Nischal Pandey, and restriced Baitadi to 173 in the second innings as Nischal picked up 2 important wicketsl.
Pokhara started well, Nischal Pandey and Arjun Raj Adhikari adding 38 runs for the first wicket at just over five runs an over before Arjun was caught by Naresh Budayer of Yagya Man Kamal on 22. The next two wickets fell pretty quickly, Rijan Prajoo went the very next ball on a duck, bowled by Yagya. Rahul Viswakarma added 11 of 28 balls before getting bowled of Prem Tamang. Pokhara then 67 of 3 at 18 overs seemed in bit of trouble.
Deepesh Khatri then joined Nischal Pandey in the creese and the duo added 51 for the fourth wicket. to steady thing a bit Santosh Bhatta bowled Deepesh who made steady 26 of 58 ball in 35th over. The fifth wicket added nearly a run a ball 30 in the power plays (35-40 overs)
Nischal Pandey was bowled by Ramesh Chand in an attempt to up the tempo for the team in the last ball of 45th over. He made a fighting 73 runs. He got to his fifty in 96 balls and then stared scoring more freely adding a run a ball 23 before getting out. Number seven Akash thapa made a 25 of 21 balls to push the score past 200 for Pokhara.
Yagya Man Kumal picked up 4 wickets for Baitadi
In reply Baitadi lost two early wickets, Opener Roshan Nepal was run out on 4 on the fourth ball of second over, while his partner Ramesh Chand was trapped lbw by Shiva Shrestha in the same over. The score then 2-6, the third and fourth wicket added 24 and 33 respectively in an attempt to steady the innings. Naresh Budayer made 15 of 26 balls while Mahendra Chand made 20 of 40 balls. baitadi lost two more quick wickets and at end of 23rd over were 74-6 and on verge of a huge loss. Binod Bhandari and Santosh Bhatta however had different and made Pokhara run for the game. Binod added 36 of 49 balls while Santosh added unbeaten 42 of 58 balls.
Baitadi at one point were 172 for 8 and needed another 30 runs in 7 overs. With Santosh playing on the crease that seemed pretty likely, but Baitadi could mange only one more run from that point losing both the wickets as
Pradip Kharel picked up three wickets and Nischal pandey picked up 2 to restrict Baitadi to 178.Nischal ending up with figures of 10-2-35-2
Chasing Biratnagar was folded for mere 108 runs in 35 overs. Biratnagar never looked at winning the game as their batsmen fell very cheaply to a sturdy bowling assault. Pacer Amrit Bhattari picked up three wickets as did Basanta Regmi. Bidham Goswami batting at number 8 top scored for Biratnager with 32 runs to get the score to three digits.
Shubash Khakurel was adjudged the player of the match.
Tomorrow’s match
APF vs Bhairahawa
Birgunj vs Nepalgunj
