Region No 1 Biratnagar and Region No 2 Birgunj started the Wai Wai U-19 National Cricket Tournament with victories on Sunday. Biratnagar defeated Region No 8 Pokhara by 43 runs and Birgunj beat Region No 3 Kathmandu by seven wickets.
In the match played at Institute of Engineering, Pulchowk, Anup Karki’s unbeaten half century and Amit Dahal’s five wickets haul guided Biratnagar to victory. Batting first, Biratnagar posted a total of 169 runs in 43.4 overs losing all the wickets.
Biratnagar lost its first wicket with the two runs on board and later continued to lose wickets in regular intervals. Biratnagar had lost its five wickets with 31 runs on board. Amit Dahal and Anup Karki shared 37-runs partnership for the sixth wicket.
Dahal was back to the pavilion with 22 runs off 27 balls with three boundaries. Karki and Prakash Shah shared 48-run partnership for the seventh wicket and took the team to a respectable total. Shah gave away his wicket on 20 runs off 46 balls.
Karki completed half a century in 91 balls that included four boundaries and a six. Pokhara conceded 30 extra runs.
Chasing the target of 170 runs, Pokhara was bowled out for 126 runs in 36 overs. Dahal grabbed five wickets in his 10-over spell conceding 27 runs with four maidens. Pokhara could not have good start as well as it lost four wickets with 39 runs on board.
Sagar Bhattarai and Amrit Shrestha shared 68-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Bhattarai gave away his wicket for 29 runs off 82 balls with a boundary. Shrestha out for 42 runs off 66 balls with four boundaries and two sixes.
After the fall of Shrestha, Pokhara continued to lose the wickets on regular basis. Rohit Singh took three wickets while Puran BK grabbed two wickets.
In another match played at the TU Ground, Kirtipur,Kathmanduwon the toss and was restricted to 154 runs in 49.4 overs. Bijay Gautam was unbeaten for 30 runs off 83 balls while Sunam Gautam (24) and Indra Kamal Manandhar (23) were the other highest scorers forKathmandu.
Aakib Ansari grabbed three wickets while Hasim Ansari took two wickets. Jatta Shankar Sharraf, Jitendra Mukhiya, Naresh Raj Giri and Bibek Dali shared a wicket each.
Birgunj achieved the target reduced to 151 runs in 27 overs losing three wickets in the rain hit match. Bowling was also reduced by three overs.
Hasim Ansari and Bijay Ghalan shared 70-run opening partnership. Ghalan was run out on 26 runs off 49 balls with four boundaries.
Ansari and Shiva Tandukar shared 68-run partnership for the second wicket. Ansari completed half century and was bowled by Jagat Chhetri on 64 runs off 61 balls that included eight boundaries and a huge six. Tandukar (39 off 36) was bowled by Sunam Gautam. Suraj Kurmi was not out on 15 runs off 13 balls and guided the team for victory.