Region No 1 Biratnagar and Region No 2 Birgunj won their respective matches in the ongoing Pepsi One Day National Cricket Tournament. Both had lost their matches on Tuesday and their hopes of reaching the semifinals are alive after Wednesday´s victories.
Birgunj defeated Region No 6 Baitadi at the IOE Ground in a Group A match. Biratnagar defeated Region No 5 Nepalgunj by four wickets at the TU Ground in a Group B match.
Birgunj, batting first, were all out for 211 runs in 49.1 overs.
Skipper Binod Das scored 60 runs off 59 balls including four sixes and two boundaries. This is the second consecutive half century for Das in the tournament. Das has scored half centuries twice before this tournament at the national level.
Anil Mandal contributed 38 runs while Sameer Nepal struck 24 runs. Baitadi gave away 30 extra runs.
Bhuwan Karki took four wickets for Baitadi.
In chasing 212 runs, Baitadi gave a good fight but were all out for 205 in 48.4 overs. Naresh Budhaair topscored for the side with 42 runs while Niraj Chand (28 runs), Santosh Bhatta (29 runs) and Pradeep Ayree (21 runs) were the other major contributors. Birgunj gave away 39 extra runs.
Rajiv Shrestha and Anil Mandal claimed three wickets each. Binod Das, who claimed a wicket also, was adjudged man-of-the-match.
Likewise, Biratnagar defeated Region No 5 Nepalgunj by four wickets at the TU Grounds in a group ´B´ match. Nepalgunj, batting first, compiled 130 runs in 40.5 overs losing all the wickets. Rupesh Shrestha topscored for the side with 33 runs.
Biratnagar bowler Amit Dahal completed his five-wicket haul. Man-of-the match Dahal bowled 7.5 overs with one maiden and gave away 17 runs.
In chasing the small total, Biratnagar met the target in 27.3 overs losing six wickets. Ajay Rajbanshi scored 42 runs while Kushal Tuladhar struck 32 runs. Pushpa Thapa contributed 27 runs for Biratnagar.
Navin Shahi took three wickets to delay Biratnagar´s victory.