Bhairahawa Into Semi After Big Win

Region No 4 Bhairahawa outplayed Region No 6 Baitadi to register a 158-run victory in the Shikhar Senior One-Day National Cricket Tournament at the TU Cricket Ground on Saturday.

With the win, Bhairahawa entered the last four and the result also ensured a semifinal place for host Kathmandu while Baitadi is out of the tournament after suffering its second loss in as many matches.

Aided by Amit Shrestha’s unbeaten 47, Bhairahawa scored 220/8 in 50 overs after being asked to bat first. Baitadi was bowled out for 62 runs in 35.4 overs with Basanta Regmi taking four wickets.

Bhairahawa lost Dipen Lamgade in the second over but captain Shakti Gauchan along with opener Dipen Khairi batted patiently adding 65 runs. Dipen was trapped leg-before by Rajendra Bahadur Chand for 23 and seven runs later, he got the prized wicket of Shakti, who scored 30 runs without hitting a boundary.

Antim Thapa (21), Basanta (16), Sagar Khadka (28) all got runs as Amit anchored the innings with a brilliant 47 off 58 balls that included a six and

two fours. With 39 extra runs, Bhairahawa reached a good total of 220 in the allotted overs.

Rajendra Bahadur spearheaded the Baitadi bowling taking three while Manoj Joshi got two. Kamal Raj Joshi, Chandra Saud and Rajendra Chand each returned with a wicket.

Amrit Bhattarai and Deepesh Khatri bowled tightly to keep Baitadi batsmen quiet when the far westerners began their reply. When Baitadi lost its second wicket to Shakti in the 12th over, it became 21/2.

Amrit Bhattarai claimed two in his six overs giving away just 12 runs while man-of-the-match Basanta took the last four wickets in 7.4 overs giving away only four runs to end the Baitadi innings at 62.

The two batsmen to cross the double-figure mark were Prem Chaudhary (17) and Manoj Joshi (15) while Shakti, Vijay Thapa and Deepesh got one wicket each for the victors.