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Region No 1 Biratnagar finished third in the Springwood National League Cricket Tournament after defeating Region No 2 Birgunj by two wickets in the pace dominated low scoring match at the TU Cricket Ground on Friday.

Paresh Lohani played yet another captain’s innings as Region No 3 Kathmandu set up the title clash in the Springwood National League Cricket Tournament with Region No 4 Bhairahawa defeating Region No 5 Nepalgunj by eight wickets at the TU Cricket Ground on Thursday.

2006 champion Birgunj, playing for the pride, needed a valiant innings from No 9 Kumar Prasun to pull off a narrow victory against lowly Baitadi. Prasun scored 34 off 36 balls with three fours and three sixes to rescue his team from 88/7 in 18.5 overs chasing Baitadi’s 141 at the Lab Ground.

Captain Shakti Gauchan guided Region No 4 Bhairahawa into the final of the Springwood National League Cricket Tournament with a 55-run victory over Region No 2 Birgunj at the Lab School Ground on Wednesday. Shakti scored unbeaten 72 as the defending champion posted 198/8 in the 42-over match before Birgunj was bowled out for 143 in 39 overs. In the other match, Region No 3 Kathmandu thrashed four-time champion Region No 1 Biratnagar by 147 runs.

Captain Paresh Lohani played a captain’s knock by scoring 79 as Region No 3 Kathmandu thrashed four-time champions Region No 1 Biratnagar by 147 runs at TU Ground.

Shakti Gauchan’s allround performance put defending champion Bhairahawa on top of the table with three wins in as many matches at Institute of Engineering Ground. Antim Thapa and Shakti Gauchan scored half-centuries as Bhairahawa raced to 215 in 46 overs. He then turned his left-arm spinners to return with match figures of 2/5 to bowl out Nepalgunj for 50 and record a 165-run win.

On a minnow-bashing day, Mehboob Alam was virtually unplayable as Region No 6 Baitadi crumbled down to the lowest total of the Springwood National League Cricket Tournament at the TU Ground on Tuesday. Mehboob took 7/25 – the second best bowling in nationals as Baitadi was bowled out for 44 in 12.4 overs – two less than Nepalgunj’s 46 in 2002. Baitadi was chasing Region No 1 Biratnagar’s 244.

Pacer Pramod Basnet was long out of action but when he finally resumed his national league career after five years he ensured there are all fireworks for his comeback by setting a Region No 3 Kathmandu victory against Region No 6 Baitadi at the Institute of Engineering Ground. Pramod’s five wicket haul wrecked Baitadi who ended their innings at 135 in 36.2 overs while chasing Kathmandu’s 253/7. Baitadi lost by 118 runs.

Region No 3 Kathmandu registered a 81-run victory over Region No 2 Birgunj on Sunday in the match that saw may new landmarks achieved in the Springwood National League Cricket Tournament. Sharad Vesawkar his 83, Kathmandu’s best ever score, and partnered Gyanendra Malla for event’s best fourth wicket partnership as the home team scored 203/7 in 50 overs. Raju Basnet returned with career best mark that also made the first bowler to take 50 wickets in the national league to bowl out Birgunj for 122 in 40 overs.

At Lab Ground, the two minnows fought and Region No 6 Baitadi registered their first win – not counting the win they achieved because of Nepalgunj’s forfeit two years ago. The four-wicket win came against the same opponent – Region No 5 Nepalgunj.

The first high profile match of the Springwood National League Cricket turned out to be a lopsided match as four-time champions Region No 1 Biratnagar failed to live up the expectations and suffered a nine-wicket thrashing by defending champions Region No 4 Bhairahawa. Biratnagar were 21/5 in the eighth over – Faizal Khan and Amrit Bhattarai being the destroyers, and never really recovered in their innings of 75 runs in 35 overs. Bhairahawa needed just 15 overs to record the easy win.

Defending champion Region No 4 Bhairahawa and Region No 1 Biratnagar began the Springwood National League Cricket Tournament with thumping victories on Friday. Biratnagar defeated Region No 5 Nepalgunj by seven wickets at the Lab Ground while Bhairahawa outplayed Region No 6 Baitadi by 196 runs at the TU Cricket Ground. Bhairahawa bowled out Baitadi for 49 in 16 overs.

The seventh edition of the Springwood One-Day National League Cricket Tournament begins Friday with defending champion Region No 4 Bhairahawa taking on Region No 6 Baitadi at the TU Cricket Ground and Region No 1 Biratnagar playing Region No 5 Nepalgunj at the Lab School Ground. The inter-region format introduced in 2001 as Birendra Memorial National League will be played under round-robin league format and the top two teams in the standings will compete for the final on April 6.

The Springwood Senior One-Day National League Cricket Tournament 2008 will commence on March 28, Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) announced on Thursday. The seventh edition of the national league featuring six cricket development regions concludes on April 6 (or April 7, the reserve day for the final) with top two teams from the league competing for the championship.