Cricket Nepal (Archive)

In an all important match, Afghanistan registered a 9-wicket victory ending Nepal’s chances to finish top of the group.

The rainfall threatened a no-play but a 7-over-a-side match was played and Nepal proved no match to Afghanistan despite posting 73/3. Continue reading →

Nepal plays Afghanistan on Friday in an important fixture of the ICC World T20 Qualifiers at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in UAE.

A victory to either of the team will strengthen their dreams of makings into the World T20 directly as group B winner while the defeat is likely to take a lengthy route.

Nepal lies in fourth position with six points, the same points as Kenya, but lower position due to low run rate. Similarly, Afghanistan is in second position of the table, having equal eight points along group leader Netherlands.

All the teams in the group have played five matches each and are yet to play two matches in the eight-team group. Afghanistan will take on comparatively stronger side Kenya in its last group match unlike Nepal which will play against comparatively weaker Bermuda in the last match. Similarly, leader Netherlands will lock horns with Scotland and Kenya. Thus the penultimate match looks to be much more important for both the teams in terms of their World Cup dream.

Looking at the past records, Afghanistan holds superiority over Nepal. The two sides have met four times in the short format event and Afghanistan has won all of them. The last time these two sides met was during the ACC T20 final in April in Kathmandu. Then, Nepal was defeated by seven wickets at home ground in Kirtipur. In the last year’s World T20 Qualifiers, Nepal was defeated by 34 runs at the hands of Afghanistan. Coincidentally, the tournament was held at Sharjah, the same venue where Nepal and Afghanistan will meet on Friday.

But there have been lot of changes in Nepali team since the tournament and Nepal has defeated the likes of Kenya and Papua New Guinea, which are considered strong teams, in the tournament.

The Netherlands registered a comfortable five-wicket victory over Nepal at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in the UAE on Wednesday dealing a big blow to Nepali hopes of topping Group B in the ICC World T20 Qualifiers.

On Wednesday, Nepali players performed below par in both batting and bowling as the Netherlands achieved a modest target of 108 runs in 16.2 overs losing five wickets. Opener Stephen Myburgh topscored for the Netherlands with 31 runs off 20 balls, while Eric Szwarczynski remained unbeaten on 21.Though the Netherlands kept losing wickets at regular intervals, all the batsmen were able to reach double figures, the only exception being Michael Swart (3).

Opener Myburgh smashed five fours and a six, while Szwarczynski hit a four during his 28-ball knock. Wesley Barresi (11), Daan Van Bunge (11), Peter Borren (17) and BN Cooper (12 not out) were the other batsmen to contribute for the Netherlands. Basanta Regmi claimed three wickets for 12 runs in his four-over spell to finish as the most successful bowler for Nepal. Skipper Paras Khadka claimed one wicket giving away 23 runs in 3.2 overs and Shakti Gauchan took 1-29 in his four-over spell.Earlier, Nepal made a slow start after being sent in to bat first. The team was 58/3 after 14 overs, but Nepal collected 49 runs from the last six over to finish at 107/6.

Vice-captain Gyanendra Malla topscored for Nepal with 44 runs off 55 balls. Binod Bhandari scored 29 off 26 and opener Subash Khakurel added 11 runs.Opener Sagar Pun (6), skipper Paras Khadka (5) and Sharad Vesawkar (6) were out cheaply. Pradeep Airee and Basanta Regmi both remained unbeaten on 1.Mudassar Bukhari of the Netherlands claimed three wickets for 15 runs with a maiden in his four-over spell. Ahsan Malik took 2-29 bowling four overs and Michael Rippon picked up a wicket giving 10 runs in his two-over spell.

The defeat was the second in five matches for Nepal, which faces Afghanistan and Bermuda in the remaining group matches. The defeat saw Nepal drop one spot to third with six points while the Netherlands consolidated its position at the top of the table with eight points from five matches. Afghanistan is level on points with Nepal but has a match in hand.

Nepal had defeated Denmark, Kenya and Papua New Guinea and lost to Scotland in its previous matches. Similarly, the Netherlands had defeated Afghanistan, Bermuda and Denmark, losing only to Papua New Guinea.

All knew Binod Bhandari is a big hitter – the flashes of his capacity was scattered in his knocks – but for the first time, he proved his worth as a middle-order big-hitting batsman with a brilliant half-century loaded with sixes to beat Papua New Guinea (PNG) by 7 wickets.

Nepal beat Papua New Guinea (PNG) by seven wickets in the 30th match of the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on November 19. Continue reading →

Nepal slumped to its first defeat in the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifiers on Monday as Scotland finally got off the mark with an eight-wicket victory at the Global Cricket Academy Ground 2 in Dubai, UAE.

Opener Calum McLeod starred for the ODI team smashing an unbeaten 82 runs as Scotland achieved the target of 138 runs with four balls to spare for its first win in three matches. Kyle Coetzer remained unbeaten on 20 runs and Matt Machan contributed 28 runs. It was the first meeting between the national teams of the two countries.

McLeod hammered three sixes and five fours during his 64-ball knock. Similarly, Machan struck a six and three fours facing 19 deliveries.
Nepal´s skipper Paras Khadka and Basanta Regmi took one wicket each. Sagar Pun was the most expensive bowler giving away 17 runs in his two-over spell, while Amrit Bhattarai conceded 29 runs in his four overs.

Earlier, put into bat first after losing the toss, Nepal could not make a good start and was 35/3 in 5.5 overs. But skipper Khadka once again consolidated the Nepali innings adding 42 runs for the fourth wicket with Binod Bhandari before the latter´s dismissal. Bhandari topscored for Nepal with 28 off 27 and Khadka added 27 off 24 as Nepal reached 137/7.
Bhandari struck two sixes and two fours while Khadka scored a six and two fours. Sharad Vesawkar (16 off 19), Basanta Regmi (unbeaten 13 off 7), opener Sagar Pun (11 off 13) and Gyanendra Malla (14 off 17) were the other batsmen to reach double figures.

Nepal suffered an early blow as opener Sagar Pun (11) and Gyanendra Malla (14) were out on the third and fifth balls of the fifth over bowled by Gordon Goudie. Another opener Subash Khakurel was out on the second ball of the second over scoring only six runs.

Safyaan Sharif and Goudie of Scotland claimed three wickets each. Sharif gave away 19 runs in his four-over spell while Goudie conceded 29 runs. Iain Wardlaw took one wicket but was hammered for 31 runs in his four overs.

Nepal had defeated Denmark by five wickets in the opener on Friday and Kenya by six wickets in the second match on Saturday.
Nepal faces Papua New Guinea in its fourth match on Tuesday in Sharjah.

Nepal pulled off a miraculous six-wicket victory over Kenya with two balls to spare on Saturday in a thrilling encounter of the ICC World T20 Qualifiers held in Dubai, UAE. It was the second victory in a row for Nepal from as many matches played.

Chasing a mammoth target of 183 runs, Sharad Vesawkar smashed 23 runs off six deliveries including three sixes and a double in the last over. Nepal required 17 runs for victory in the last over and Vesawkar — who was guilty of giving away 30 runs in a single over during Nepal’s bowling — earned 20 off four deliveries.

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The final over! Video by ICC.

Besides Vesawakar, skipper Paras Khadka and opener Subash Khakurel contributed vital 54 runs each in the run chase. Khadka remained unbeaten along with Vesawkar. It was the first ever limited over match for Nepal with two batsmen reaching half centuries. Similarly, it was the sixth half century for Khadka.

Gyanendra Malla (32 off 22) and Binod Bhandari (12 off 8) also played responsible knock. Opener Pradeep Airee (1) was the only batsman for Nepal who failed to reach double figure.

The run chase looked almost impossible when Khadka, coming in at number 4, took the charge after fall of Malla at 83 in 10.3 overs. The score was 92 after the end of 12th over. Malla put up a partnership of 77 runs with opener Khakurel for the second wicket. Malla hit six boundaries before being stumped by wicket keeper Morris Ouma.

Khadka quick-fired four sixes and three boundaries in his knock of 31 balls while Khakurel cracked six boundaries facing 48 balls. Nepal scored 22 runs in the 18th over with resolute Khadka earning 19 runs that included three sixes.

Elijah Otieno was the most expensive bowler for Kenya giving away 44 runs in his four over spell. Nehemiah Odhiambo gave away 40 runs in his four over spell claiming one wicket. Ragheb Aga gave away 38 runs and Hiran Varaiya gave 36 runs to Nepal.

Earlier, put in to bat first, Kenya could not start brightly and it was tottering at 4/32. But the number six batsman Rakep Patel (103) earned a century to set a mammoth target for Nepal. He quick-fired 10 sixes and five fours in his 45-ball innings. He was bowled out by skipper Khadka in the last ball of 17th over. Patel also set a record of becoming first batsman to score century against Nepal.

Kenyan Morris Ouma (37 off 37) opener Steve Tikolo (11 off 6) and Shem Ngoche (not out 10 off 4) were the only other batsmen to reach double figures.

Earlier, Vesawkar became the most expensive bowler giving away 30 runs in the 17th over, the only over he bowled. Sagar Pun conceded 37 runs in his three over spell. Jeetendra Mukhiaya and Basanta Regmi pocketed two wickets each in their four over spell. Mukhiya gave away 31 and Regmi 34 runs.

Nepal will take on Scotland in the third match on Monday.

In what may look like the rematch of Thursday, Region No 2 (Birgunj) and Region No 3 (Kathmandu) on Friday set up title clash of the Wai Wai U-19 National Cricket.
Birgunj defeated Region No 9 (Kanchanpur) by six wickets in the semifinal to set up final against Kathmandu, which thumped Region No 7 (Janakpur) by 99 runs on Friday. Kathmandu had defeated Birgunj by two wickets in the group stage on Thursday.
At the TU Cricket Ground in Kirtipur, Kanchanpur was bowled out for 232 runs in the penultimate ball of the innings after it won the toss and opted to bat first. Birgunj reached the target in 47 overs losing four wickets.
Player-of-the-match Ram Naresh Giri produced an all-round performance for Birgunj claiming two wickets and then scoring an unbeaten half-century in the run-chase.
Earlier, Bhim Sarki contributed the highest 80 runs for Kanchanpur hitting six fours and a six during his 88-ball knock. Opener Sunil Damal shared a 64-run partnership for the second wicket with Tekendra Mal (28) after Kanchanpur lost the first wicket with only eight runs on the board. Damal played a patient knock of 49 off 79 that included eight boundaries. Raju Rijal (12), Bhuwan Karki (17) and Yagyaman Kumal (12) were the other batsmen to reach double figures.
Arif Sheikh of Birgunj claimed three wickets giving away 43 runs in his 10 overs. Giri grabbed two while Kiran Budhathoki, Irshad Ahamad and Ashib Paudel took one each.
In the run-chase, the top-order batsmen made notable contributions for Birgunj, the only exception being opener Anil Shah (1). Opener Amit Shrestha scored 62 off 53, skipper Suraj Prasad Kurmi hit 37 off 88 and Sumit Kadmiya added 37 off 66. Similarly, Giri scored an unbeaten 50 off 35 and Arif Sheikh remained unbeaten on 27 off 33.
Shrestha, who reached his half-century in 39 balls, hit 11 boundaries while Giri’s fifty included nine boundaries.
In the other semifinal played at the Pulchowk ground, skipper Bibhatshu Thapa played a responsible innings of 116 and player-of-the-match Som Pal Kami also shone with the bat as Kathmandu recorded a comfortable victory over Janakpur. Kathmandu scored 295/6 and restricted Janakpur to 196/9.
Kathmandu chose to bat first and Thapa smashed 116 off 139 with 14 boundaries and a six. Similarly, Kami hammered seven fours and a six to race to 68 in 54 balls. Prakash Bista A (10), Pawan Shrestha (20) and Sharad Khadka (21 not out) also made notable contributions for Kathmandu that received 43 runs in extras.
Gopal Singh was the pick of the Janakpur bowlers with five wickets. He gave away 51 runs in 10 overs, which included a maiden over.
Defending the target, Kami took four wickets for Kathmandu conceding 32 runs. He bowled two maiden overs in his 10-over spell. Prakash Bista (B) and Sharad Khadka claimed two wickets each.
Tailender Kailash Mandal topscored for Janakpur with an unbeaten 41, while Prakash Khatri (29), Rahul Pratap Singh (28), Hari Shankar Sah (14), Abhishek Jha (14) and Gopal Singh (17) were the other batsmen to reach double figures.
The final will be held on Saturday at the Pulchowk ground.

Nepal began its World T20 Qualifiers campaign in style, thrashing Denmark by 5 wickets in the first match at the ICC Academy Oval 2, in Dubai on Friday.

After restricting Denmark to a paltry total of 79, Nepal overhauled the target of 80 with more than 6 overs to spare, thanks to swashbuckling innings by Paras Khadka. Khadka made 48 runs including 5 sixes and a four.

Paras Khadka on his way to 48, against Denmark in Nepal’s first match of World T20 Qualifier. 15 Nov. 2013. Photo: Raman Shivakoti

However, Nepali chase was not without hiccups, as it lost 2 wickets without any score on the board. Opener Pradeep Airee and vice-captain Gyanendra Malla were back in the pavilion before the second over concluded. Then, captain Khadka and Subash Khakurel (17) steadied the ship for Nepal, with a 67-run partnership.

As soon as Khadka was out with team total on 67, another drama began. Nepal lost two more wickets within a space of few balls and was 68 for 5. But Denmark could not manage any miracle as it was defending a small target. Sharad Vesawkar (5*) and Sagar Pun (2*) made sure there were no further jolts for Nepal.

Earlier Nepali bowlers bowled a very good line to keep Denmark batsmen in check. Sagar Pun, with 3 wickets for 12 runs, was the pick of the bowlers, as Jitendra Mukhiya and Basanta Regmi took two wickets each. Regmi was particularly impressive, giving away only 8 runs in his spell of 2.4 overs.

For Denmark, Hamid Shah was the highest scorer with 18 runs, as Yasir Iqbal and Michael Pederson scored 17 and 16. Seven batsmen from Denmark failed to reach double digit scores.

Nepal plays Kenya next, on Saturday. In earlier clash between the two – during last edition of the tournament two years ago – Nepal had defeated Kenya.

Team Nepal begins its World T20 campaign on Friday, taking on Denmark in the ICC World T20 Qualifiers at the GCA 2, Dubai.

The European opponent may not be a big threat to Nepal, if you consider their performance for past couple of years. However, the road to the World Cup is still a big challenge to Nepal.

Unlike Nepal, which is considered as a strong contender, Denmark is rated as one of the weakest sides of the group. In the same tournament held last year, Denmark had finished at the bottom of table in the 16-team contest.

Then, Nepal had defeated Denmark by nine wickets with a sensational hat-trick from spinner Shakti Gauchan. It was the first ever international hat-trick for a Nepali player and a debut match in International Cricket Council´s (ICC´s) T20 format.

With four wickets from Gauchan, Nepal had bowled out Denmark for 91 runs in 19.1 over and achieved target in the 12.4 over. Nepal, the lowest ranked team of the tournament then, had finished in seventh position. As per the new format of ICC, the top six teams of the tournament will qualify for the World T20 to be held next year in Bangladesh.

Captains playing in the World T20 Qualifiers in UAE

Nepal´s dream to World T20 is not unrealistic, given the format and Nepal’s recent performance. In the ICC World Cricket League Division 4 held last year in Malaysia, Nepal had achieved a comfortable win over the same opponent with a century from Anil Mandal. But there is slim chance that Mandal would be included as an opener. If he does get included in playing XI, he would come in a middle order, Nepal´s Sri Lankan coach Pubudu Dassanayake has clarified.

But Mandal has emerged as a strong substitute for openers after Nepal´s both openers — Pradeep Airee and Subash Khakurel — as both failed to live upto the expectation during warm-up matches played against the UAE, the host, and the USA.

Nepal defeated the UAE and lost to the USA. Openers Airee and Khakurel failed to remain on the crease for four overs, on both occasions. Airee was out in the very first ball against the UAE and managed only six runs against the USA. Khakurel scored 14 against the UAE and three against the USA.

Meanwhile, the Danish team was defeated by a huge margin in both warm-up matches. Hong Kong had defeated Denmark by 140 runs and the UAE had defeated it by six wickets.

Denmark managed to make 90 runs against the UAE while Nepal had defeated the UAE by five wickets, chasing a target of 139 runs. Along with Denmark, Nepal is pitted along side with Afghanistan, Scotland, the Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, Kenya and Bermuda in Group B.

Nepal is scheduled to play against Kenya, one of the four teams in Group B with ODI status, on Saturday. Aware of other team´s preparation, coach Dassanayake said, “All the teams have made sound preparation. But important part is how we start the tournament. We take one game at a time, and hope for a winning start in the qualifiers.”

Nepal´s primary target is to be focused against Denmark and Kenya. Despite, the ODI status of Kenya, Nepal has defeated them in the last edition of the tournament by five wickets. Kenya had finished the tournament on the ninth position, two behind Nepal.

Nepal has again been drawn alongside with India and Pakistan in the ACC U-19 Asia Cup in the fixture released by Asian Cricket Council (ACC) on Thursday.

Along with India, Pakistan and Nepal, group A consist of UAE, in the event scheduled from December 28 to January 4 in UAE. Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Malaysia make up group B.

In the first edition held on June 2012 in Malaysia, Nepal was drawn along with Asian powerhouse India and Pakistan in group round and lost both matches.

Nepal will meet Pakistan in its opening match at the ICC GCA 1 in its opening match on December 28 and India on the following day at the same venue and host UAE at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on December 31. The top two team from each of the group make to semifinals.

As per the tournament structure, four semifinalist teams of the ACC U-19 Elite Cup held on May earlier this year joins four Test playing nations of Asia in the event. Nepal had gone down against UAE in the U-19 Elite and failed to qualify for youth World Cup for the second time in a row.

Region no 3 (Kathmandu) maintained its winning streak, defeating Region no 2 (Birgunj) to fix semifinal date against ´comparatively easy´ opponent – an emerging winner of group A – on Thursday in the Wai Wai U-19 National Cricket Tournament being held in the capital.

In the clash of already qualified teams for the semifinals, Kathmandu overcame Birgunj by two wickets to get Region no 7 (Janakpur), the group B runner-up, as the opponent for entry into the final.

Birgunj will meet Region no 9 (Kanchanpur), the winner of group A, in the last four. Both the semifinal matches will be held on Friday. Put to bat first at the Bhaktapur ground, Birgunj was bundled out for a paltry total of 125 runs in 37.2 overs as the player of the match Sompal Kami grabbed five wickets. In the run chase, Kathmandu made 129/8 in 30.5 overs.

Vikram Basnet (43), Amit Shrestha and Anil Shah (21 each) contributed for Birgunj. Kathmandu also could not have a sound start in batting as it lost five wickets for 71 runs.

But the sixth and the seventh order batsmen Kami and Khadka contributed 17 runs. Similarly the next batsman Arjun Adhikari scored 26 runs. Ram Naresh Giri and Irshad Ahamed of Birgunj pocketed three wickets apiece.

In another match, Region no 5 (Nepalgunj) overcame Region no 4 (Bhairahawa) to wrap up with consolation win at the TU ground, Kirtipur. Both the teams have already crashed out of the group round.

Similarly, Region no 1 (Biratnagar) achieved its first win in the tournament over Region no 6 (Baitadi) by 50 runs before returning home. Baitadi finished pointless losing all three matches of the group stage.

The semifinal line-up in the Wai Wai U-19 National Cricket Tournament was completed on Wednesday with Region No 2 (Birgunj) and Region No 3 (Kathmandu) joining Region No 9 (Kanchanpur) and Region No 7 (Janakpur) in the last-four of the competition.

Birgunj and Kathmandu secured berths in the last-four from Group A with a match in hand after Birgunj defeated Region No 1 (Biratnagar) by four wickets at the TU Cricket Ground in Kirtipur on Wednesday for its second straight win. The result puts undefeated Birgunj and Kathmandu on top of the standings with four points each in the four-team group. Region No 1 (Biratnagar) and Region No 6 (Baitadi) — both pointless — crashed out with a match in hand.

The last group match between Birgunj and Kathmandu on Thursday at the Bhaktapur ground will decide the group winner. The group winner will meet Group B runner-up Janakpur, which lost to Kanchanpur by eight wickets at the Bhaktapur ground on Wednesday. Kanchanpur, which topped Group B, will meet the runner-up of Group A.

At the TU ground, Birgunj successfully chased a 202-run target as opener Amit Shrestha (72) and skipper Suraj Prasad Kurmi (60 not out) completed half-centuries. Shrestha shared an 89-run partnership for the second wicket with Kurmi as Birgunj made 205/6 in 46.3 overs. Player-of-the-match Shrestha faced 93 balls and smashed eight boundaries.

Skipper Kurmi played a patient knock of 60 off 110 that included four boundaries. Anil Kumar Shah scored 32 and opener Aqueit Ali Ansari added 15.

Kalicharan Yadav claimed two wickets of Birgunj while Rohit Singh, Puran Bishwakarma, Siddhant Lohani and Mukunda Yadav shared a wicket each.

Earlier, Biratnagar opted to bat first and opener Somesh Yadav scored 37 runs but he could not get good support from the other end. Fifth-order batsman Mobin Ali took charge when Biratnagar was tottering at 64/4 and led the team to a respectable total of 201/8. Ali hit 50 runs in his patient knock of 123 balls.

Skipper Siddhant Lohani smashed 65 off 68 with nine fours and a six before being trapped leg before wicket. Bhuwan Meche (11) and Rohit Singh (10) were the other batsmen to reach double figures. Arif Sheikh of Birgunj claimed three wickets and Ram Naresh Giri took two.

At the Bhaktapur ground, Lalit Bhandari and Arjun Chapagain claimed three wickets each as Kanchanpur bowled out Janakpur for 166 runs in 40.2 overs. In reply, player-of-the-match Deependra Chand blasted an unbeaten 87 to see his team home in 34.5 overs for the loss of two wickets. Opener Chand struck 14 boundaries facing 105 deliveries. Sunil Dhamala scored 24 and Raju Rijal added 26, while Bhim Sharki remained unbeaten on four runs.

Earlier, Sameer Nepal topscored with 37 runs for Janakpur that chose to bat first after winning the toss. Chandan Jha (14), Abhishek Singh (13) and Saurav Nagbanshi (10) were the only other batsmen to reach double figures. Janakpur received 52 runs in extras.

In a clash between two eliminated teams, Region No 8 (Pokhara) defeated Region No 5 (Nepalgunj) by six runs to earn its first points. Set a target of 81 runs, Nepalgunj was bowled out for 74 in 20 overs. Sushil Kandel of Pokhara claimed five wickets and Sangharsha Poudel took three.

Nepal has lost out to USA in the second warm-up match, in the run up to the World T20 qualifiers that begins on Friday in UAE.

USA defeated Nepal by 5 wickets, chasing down the target of 130 runs, with two balls to spare.

USA began the chase of 130-run target well, putting up 30 runs, before Steven Taylor was out caught by Sharad Vesawkar off Amrit Bhattarai’s bowling, in the third over. Elmore Hutchinson scored the highest 33 runs for USA, as Timroy Ellen scored 31 off 24 deliveries towards the end.

For Nepal, Sagar Pun took two wickets for 25 runs, as Shakti Gauchan took one, giving away 16 runs in his 4-over spell. But that could not stop the USA getting past the target.

Earlier, Nepal elected to bat, after winning the toss at Abu Dhabi Cricket Ground and put up 129 for 7. Team Nepal lost wickets on regular intervals and had half of the team back in pavilion by the 15^th over, for 86 runs. For Nepal, vice-captain Gyanendra Malla scored 36 off 38 deliveries. The target of 120 plus was possible largely due to Sharad Vesawkar, who scored 26 off 19 deliveries, including a six. Binod Bhandari scored 22. Anil Mandal scored 9 off three deliveries – including a six – in the last over, as he came in to bat after the loss of 7th wicket. Skipper Paras Khadka could only manage 6 runs off 10 balls.

Mohammed Ghous was the pick of the bowlers for USA, with two scalps.

Nepal opens its World T20 qualifiers campaign against Denmark on Friday. Along with Denmark, Nepal is pitted against Afghanistan, Scotland, The Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, Kenya and Bermuda in Group B of the qualifiers. Similarly, Ireland, Canada, the UAE, Namibia, Hong Kong, Uganda, the USA and Italy make up Group A. The top six teams of the qualifiers will secure berth in the finals to be held in 2014.

In some ways ICC World T20 Qualifiers is a ‘Turning Point’ for Nepal. Two years ago, at the same tournament, Team Nepal was able to gauge what challenges it was to face in future. At the same time, it was able to get a pulse of its competitors. Many think, the experience of two years ago would help Nepal turn its fortunes and qualify for World T20 this time.

When Nepal was stopped in ICC World Cricket League Division 4, in 2010, then coach of Afghanistan, Taj Malik, had said, “Nepali standard is very high. But Nepali players are in awe of big names in other teams. Once Nepal crosses a level and beats a big team, it will start series of wins.”

He kept Nepal and Afghanistan at the same level, saying “At one point, Afghanistan was also like Nepal. Once Afghanistan started winning, the countries considered bigger than us, Kenya, Canada, Netherlands, Scotland were not too big for us.” He was the coach of Afghanistan team that was in Division 5 in 2010 and by next year, it climbed to Division 2.

Nepal’s only victory against Afghanistan came during Malik’s reign. That was in 2006, for third place play-off in ACC Trophy. Afghans climbed up to Division 2. Nepal could manage a climb up to Division 4 only.

Things changed with the arrival of Pubudu Dassanayake as a coach. The World T20 qualifiers two years ago is an example. Nepal had to struggle to get into semi-final of ACC T20 Cup, just to qualify for World T20 qualifier. In the process, Nepal defeated Hong Kong by a wicket and Kuwait by a run.

Nepal was the lowest ranked team, out of 16 playing the qualifiers in 2011. But Team Nepal defeated Denmark, PNG and Kenya – all ranked above Nepal – for the first time. But it lost out to Canada and could only manage to finish as 7^th, as top 6 went to the last round of World T20 qualifiers.

Right after return from the tournament, captain Paras Khadka had said, “If we improve our game a little, we can play World T20 next time. We finished as 7^th. Top 6 is just one step above us. So it is possible. We now know what needs to be done to reach there.”

The exposure in this tournament has enabled Nepal to climb to the top spot of ICC Associate nations, many say. Last year, Nepal defeated USA twice in Division 4 championship. When Nepal won Division 3, Uganda and Bermuda – with ODI experience – were no match for the winners.

In last one year, Nepal has defeated UAE twice – in 50 over and 20 over. The win last year had come after a gap of 14 years.

And in the World T20 qualifiers, that begin on Friday, Nepal be facing the same PNG, Bermuda, Kenya and Denmark. All these have faced defeat against Nepal in recent matches. At the same time, the big names – Afghanistan, Scotland and Netherlands – are also pooled with Nepal.

Region No 9 (Kanchanpur) and Region No 7 (Janakpur) have advanced into the semifinals of the Wai Wai U-19 National Cricket Tournament, from Group B.

Kanchanpur crushed Region No 4 (Bhairahawa) by 182 runs at the Pulchowk Engineering College ground for its third victory in a row. Kanchanpur’s win also helped Janakpur secure its place in the last-four of the tournament. Kanchanpur and Janakpur have six points each from three matches and the last group match between them on Wednesday will decide the group winner. The other three teams in the group — Bhairahawa, Nepalgunj and Pokhara — crashed out with at least one match in hand.

Tail-enders Bhuwan Karki and Deependra Airee shone with the bat and Lalit Bhandari bowled brilliantly to seal a comfortable victory for Kanchanpur. Skipper Karki (84) and Airee (69) shared an unbeaten partnership of 172 to guide the team to 240/6.

Kanchanpur was teetering at 68/6 at one stage, but Karki and Airee rescued the team. Karki hit nine boundaries during his 109-ball knock and Airee struck six boundaries facing 85 deliveries. Tekendra Mal (18) and Raju Rijal (22) were the only other batsmen to reach double figures.

Deependra Yadav and Susan Bhari of Bhairahawa grabbed two wickets each.

Player-of-the-match Lalit Bhandari then stole the show claiming six wickets to bowl out Bhairahawa for a paltry total of 58 in 18.5 overs. Bhandari gave 26 runs in his 9.5 overs, which included two maidens. Sunil Dhamala took 4-12 to wrap up the victory for Kanchanpur. Rupesh Bastola (19) was the only batsman to reach double figures for Bhairahawa, which lost six batsmen for a duck.

Gotcha: Devendra Somare (Bhairahawa) clean bowled by Lalit Singh Bhandari (Kanchanpur) during Wai Wai U-19 National Cricket Tournament on November 12, 2013. Bhandaro took six wickets in this match.

Kathmandu maintains winning run

Region No 3 (Kathmandu) recorded its second consecutive victory in Group B defeating Region No 6 (Baitadi) by 69 runs at the TU Cricket Ground in Kirtipur. Kathmandu tops the standings with four points while Baitadi is pointless after two matches.

Put into bat first, Kathmandu scored a formidable total of 285/9 and bowled out Baitadi for 216 in 35.2 overs despite a century from Dilip Nath.

Kathmandu openers Prakash Bista-A (52) and Ashish Dhami (93) put up 68 runs for the first wicket. Skipper Bibhatshu Thapa (43) shared a 94-run partnership for the second wicket with Dhami before being caught by Jagdish Chand. Arjun Adhikari hit 36 for Kathmandu, as Baitadi gave away 28 extra runs.

Dhami struck 11 fours during his innings of 135 balls. Bista-A hit two sixes and six fours off 46 deliveries. Thapa smashed five fours in his 50-ball knock. Basanta Khatri and Suraj Budal pocketed three wickets each of Kathmandu.

In the run-chase, Dilip Nath hit a quickfire 123 off 84 for Baitadi, coming in at 6, but failed to prevent his team from defeat. Nath blasted five sixes and 15 fours before being bowled by Som Pal Kami. Skipper Prem Tamang (27), Yogendra Karki and Basanta Khatri (13) were the other batsmen to reach double figures.

Besides taking the vital wicket of Nath for Kathmandu, Kami also took three other wickets while Prakash Bista-B dismissed two Baitadi batsmen.

Dhami of Kathmandu and Nath of Baitadi were jointly awarded player-of-the-match.

Spurred by captain Paras Khadka’s 85 off 62 balls, Team Nepal has defeated UAE in the first warm-up match, ahead of World T20 qualifiers in Dubai on Tuesday.

Needing 139 to beat UAE, Nepal lost two or its wickets (Pradeep Airee-0 and Subhash Khakurel-14), with score at 18 in three overs. As Paras belted 9 fours and 4 sixes in his innings Nepal achieved the target with 3 balls to spare.

Nasir Aziz was the most successful UAE bowler with 3 wickets off 4 overs, but he gave away 44 runs in his spell. The other notable contribution for Nepal came from vice-captain Gyanendra Malla, as he scored 25 off 30 deliveries with 3 hits to the boundary.

Earlier, Nepali bowlers restricted UAE to 138, taking wickets at regular intervals. Khurram Khan scored 55 runs off 40 deliveries, but did not find much support from the other end. Four UAE batsmen reached double figures but failed to cross 20s.

Jitendra Mukhiya took 3 wickets for Nepal, as Basanta Regmi was the most economical bowler, giving away 15 runs in his 3 overs. Shakti Gauchan and Sagar Pun (1 wicket) gave away exactly 22 runs in their 4-over spell.

With the aim of playing the World T20, Nepali team has reached the United Arab Emirates to compete in the qualifiers that begins on Friday.

The top six teams will qualify for the final to be held next year in Bangladesh. Here is what former captains had to say about the Nepali team, role of coach Pubudu Dassanayake and its qualification chances.

Uttam Karmacharya

Considering the team, its performance and investment of CAN, I am optimistic that Nepal will reach the World Cup. The match exposure in later stages will be helpful in realizing our dream of finishing in the top-six.

The training was also quite satisfactory but there might be weaknesses in fielding. Skipper Paras Khadka and Gyanendra Malla are at their best. Though Sarad Vesawkar does not seem to in his best form, he is an experienced guy. Jeetendra Mukhiya does not have much experience but he”s honing his skills. The coach has a great role in the team. It is good that he is considering every fact, including food and psychology of the players. He also has good knowledge of opponents.

LB Chhetri
The flamboyance of coach, players, team and the training shows that the team has a high level of confidence. The farewell of players by corporate houses has also boosted the players” confidence. Captain Paras Khadka”s performance has been praiseworthy. Even if Nepal fails to gain direct entry to the World Cup, there are other alternatives. But Nepali players are capable of reaching the World Cup on their own.

The Delhi tour wasn’t as we had expected but our players’ morale is still high. Along with skipper Khadka and Malla, Anil Mandal and Subash Khakurel are in good form. The comeback of Amrit Bhattarai and Sagar Pun”s role as off-spinner has made the team strong. Mahesh Chhetri is also a quality player and could prove his mettle if he gets the opportunity. Players have big hopes on coach Dassanayake who has brought a big change to Nepali cricket.

Pawan Agrawal

Nepal could secure its place in the finals finishing in the top-six but it should play very well to win the tournament. This national team can perform well, but there are no players to replace the current set in the long run.

The team is largely dependent on skipper Paras Khadka, Gyanendra Malla and openers Subash Khakurel and Pradeep Airee. The main thing to consider is batting and it is vital that these four players are at their best. The team”s performance over the past two year highlights the role of the coach. Coach Dassanayake has used all his credentials for the betterment of the team. The tournament will be very competitive as every team has made sound preparations.

Raju Khadka

The national team”s training has been the best ever and the players have put in all their efforts. I watched the training recently and I felt it was the real training of national team. There is a physiotherapist as well as a technical analyst in the team. The team could have been better had we got such training a decade ago. The coach has sound plans and the players are also getting a few facilities.

Though I an not aware of other teams” preparations, I am sure Nepal can secure a place in the top-six. Capatain Khadka is in good form and has been more serious after assuming the captain”s responsibility. Malla is excellent in batting and fast bowlers are in good shape. Mukhiya is getting better with each passing day. Spinners are also in good shape and the arrival of Pun has strengthened Nepal”s bowling.

Binod Das

I am hopeful of reaching the World Cup. We could finish in the top-six position if we consider the tune Nepali team has caught after Division 4. The preparations were not as expected, but I have confidence in the players. All teams are competitive, but Afghanistan and The Netherlands are strong. Papua New Guinea should not be underestimated.

Captain Khadka is at his peak and I have big hopes from Binod Bhandari. Sarad Vesawkar and Malla have made the middle-order strong. Basanta Regmi and Shakti Gauchan are in good shape. Nepali team has been doing magic after the arrival of Dassanayake as the coach. I am hopeful that the pair of coach and skipper will have good tuning.

Region No 8 (Pokhara) has crashed out of the Wai Wai U-19 National Cricket Tournament while Region No 3 (Kathmandu) and Region No 2 (Birgunj) made winning starts to their campaigns.

Pokhara crashed out at the group stage with a match in hand after suffering its third successive defeat. This time, at the hands of Region No 4 (Bhairahawa) in Group B match. Bhairahawa recorded a convincing 118-run victory over Pokhara at the Army ground in Bhaktapur for its first win in two matches.

Glimpse of the match between Kathmandu and Biratnagar in Wai-Wai U-19 National Championship

In Group A, Kathmandu overcame Region No 1 (Biratnagar) by three wickets at the Pulchowk Engineering College ground and Birgunj defeated Region No 6 (Baitadi) by eight wickets to collect two points each from their opening matches.

At the Bhaktapur ground, Rupesh Bastola stole the show cracking 52 runs and claiming three wickets for Bhairahawa. Electing to bat first Bhairahawa was all out for 189 runs in 47.1 overs and bowled out Pokhara for 71 runs in 34 overs.

Player-of-the-match Bastola struck 10 fours and a six during his knock of 48 balls. Susan Bhari scored 40 off 79, Bijay Sunar made 13 and Dipendra Yadav remained not out on 21.

Nischal Pandey of Pokhara claimed three wickets, with Shyam Tripathi and Sangharsha Paudyal taking two each.
Akash Thapa (11) and Krishna Gurung (10) were the only players to reach double figures, with four Pokhara batsmen dismissed without scoring. Bastola and Dipendra Yadav took three wickets each to restrict Pokhara to a meager total.

At the Pulchowk ground, Prakash Bista (B) claimed five wickets for Kathmandu and skipper Bibhatshu Thapa smashed an unbeaten 58 runs to seal a comfortable win over Biratnagar.

Winning the toss Biratnagar opted to bat first and was bowled out for 158 runs in 45.3 overs.Somesh Yadav topscored for Biratnagar with 40. Mukunda Yadav made 34 while Rohit Singh and Puran Bishwakarma added 22 runs each.

Player-of-the-match Bista (B) of Kathmandu claimed five wickets giving away 31 runs in his 10 overs. In the run-chase Kathmandu reached the target in 30.4 overs. Skipper Thapa hit eight fours and one six in his 41-ball knock. Similarly, Prakash Bista-A (10), Ashish Dhami (11) and Sarad Khadka (15) were the other contributors.

Siddhanta Lohani and Hemanta Rai bagged two wickets each.At the TU ground in Kirtipur, chasing a target of 140 runs set by Baitadi, Birgunj made 141 runs with eight wickets in hand in 31.2 overs.

Birgunj opener Anil Kumar Sah scored 17 and Amit Shrestha made 40, while Suraj Prasad Kurmi and Arif Sheikh were unbeaten on 35 and 40 respectively. Sheikh won the player-of-the-match award.

Earlier, Yogendra Karki played a patient knock of 52 from 111 after Baitadi elected to bat first. Karki was bowled by Ram Naresh Giri. Dilip Nath (19), Saroj Rawal (10) and Prem Tamang (11) were the other batsmen to reach double figures.

Nepal captain Paras Khadka says that his young side has been working hard on its fitness and skills ahead of the upcoming ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier UAE 2013 (WT20Q), which begins on 15 November.

Nepal features in Group B alongside strong competition in the form of Afghanistan, The Netherlands, Scotland, Kenya, Bermuda, Denmark and Papua New Guinea. Continue reading →

Janakpur edged closer to the semifinals of the Wai Wai U-19 National Cricket Tournament after registering its third successive win in the tournament, on Sunday.

However, the day belonged to Sunil Dhimal, whose century propelled Kanchanpur to an emphatic 122-run victory over Pokhara in another match.

At the Pulchowk Engineering College ground, Janakpur defeated Nepalgunj by 58 runs as Hari Shankar Sah ran riot with the ball, taking six wickets to foil Nepalgunj´s run-chase.
Nepalgunj captain Akash Bista´s five-wicket haul in the first innings went in vain as Janakpur won the toss and scored 206 runs in 44.5 overs.

Captain Rahul Pratap Singh topscored for Janakpur with 38 runs off 41 balls. He hit six boundaries during his stay at the crease. Chandan Jha made 37 off 66 with five fours, while Ansaj Upadhyaya and Abhishek Singh added 26 runs each.

Abhishek Jha, who had hit 42 runs and bagged six wickets in Janakpur´s 13-run win over Bhairahawa a day earlier, scored only 21 runs this time. Hari Shankar Sah was run out after making 15.

Bista was the pick of the bowlers with a five-wickets haul, giving away just 23 runs in 8.5 overs, which included a maiden over. Bhupendra Roka and Anup Neupane grabbed two wickets each and Amar Singh Rautela took one.

Chasing a target of 207, Nepalgunj was all out in 34.3 overs for 148 runs. Opener Prajwal Shahi scored 35 runs, including six boundaries, off 47 balls. Bhupendra Thapa (18), Rabindra Shahi (17) and Shishir Thapa (10) were the other contributors.

Hari Shankar Sah overshadowed Bista´s heroics as he took six wickets, giving away 27 runs in nine overs, which included two maiden overs.

At the TU Cricket Ground in Kirtipur, Sunil Dhimal scored 128 runs as Kanchanpur posted a huge total of 281 runs in 50 overs losing four wickets. Kanchanpur then restricted Pokhara to just 159 runs.
It was Kanchanpur´s second straight victory while Pokhara has lost both its matches so far.

Dhimal reached his century in 120 balls. He struck 17 fours and a six during his 141-ball knock.

He also shared a 113-run partnership for the third wicket with Bhim Sarki. Captain Bhuvan Karki and Raju Rijal remained unbeaten on 52 and 32 respectively. Karki´s innings included eight boundaries off 33 balls.

Pokhara´s skipper Nischal Pandey grabbed two wickets and Anil Gurung took one.

In the run-chase, Gurung topscored with 59, while Akash Thapa (46), Manoj Koirala (12), Shiva Shrestha (12) and Dhruva Karki (11) were the other contributors.
Kanchanpur´s Dipendra Airee took three wickets.

Just as the ICC World T20 qualifiers is around the corner, eight corporate houses have declared to provide a monthly allowances of Rs 15,000 to each member of the Team Nepal for two years, just before its departure to UAE, if it makes it to the World T20.

Nepali Team left for UAE for the tournament that begins this Friday.

Seven corporate houses – Ace Travels, HH Bajaj and Company, Mega Bank, F1 Soft Privated Limited, VOITH Group, Goldstar Shoes and Unilever Nepal Limited — have declared to provide monthly allowance to two members each of the national team while King College have agreed to sponosor one player. The deal will be effective from the very first month after the team qualifies for World Cup.

Besides this, Suraj Vaidhya of VOITH Group declared to provide a Toyota car to a best player of the squad if the team makes it to World Cup finals. Recalling that the company has already gifted cars to footballers Upendra Man Sing and Hari Khadka and taekwondo player Sangina Baidhya, President of FNCCI Vaidhya made such declaration.

Similarly, Pradip Kumar Shrestha, the former president of Federation of Nepal Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FNCCI) and Manish Jha of NYEF gave away Rs 100,000 each to the cricekt team. Shrestha handed over the cash to skipper Paras Khadka and Jhan to vice captain Gyanendra Malla.

Manoj Pandey of Global Visa Consultancy declared to provide Rs 25,000 each to a best player of Nepali team in the every group stage match of Qualifiers.

Ranjit Acharya, the CEO of Prisma Advertising took the initiative to unite the corporate houses and motivate cricket team ahead of the Qualifiers.

The players were picked after lucky draw in which Basanta Regmi and Mahesh Chhetri were drawn to Ace Travels, Sarad Vesawakar and Anil Mandal to HH Bajaj and Company, Subash Khakurel and Amrit Bhattarai to Mega Bank, Pradeep Airee and Avinash Karna to F1 Soft Private Limited for the monthly allowances. Similarly, Paras Khadka and Jitendra Mukhiya to VOITH Group, Gyanendra Malla and Rahul BK to Goldstar Shoes, Shakti Gauchan and Binod Bhandari to Unilever Nepal and Sagar Pun to Kings College.

Optmistic of making into finals, Skipper Khadka said that they were only a step farther from playing the World Cup. “We are geared up and just a step further from playing the World Cup. It has been our childhood dream to play the World Cup,” Khadka said.

Speaking on the occasion, industrialist Pradeep Kumar Shrestha said that the response private sector had shown to cricket team was a great encouragement. He also assured of more rewards once the cricket team returns home after qualification.

“Once you return home I will give you better than what you have expected,” Shrestha said.
Shekhar Golchha of HH Bajaj and Company expressed satisfaction for getting chance to attach with the cricket team. Golchha said that the entire country was hopeful that cricket could bring happiness to the nation at a time while the country was going through tough time.

Motivating the cricket team, Anil Shah of Mega Bank said that he was confident that the team would make it to World Cup finals but not sure if constitution will come or not this time as well.

Nepali team coached by Sri Lankan Pubudu Dassanayake has been pitted alongside with Afghanistan, Scotland, The Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, Kenya, Bermuda and Denmark in group B. Nepal will open its campaign taking on Denmark on Friday.

Group A consists of Ireland, Canada, Namibia, Hong Kong, UAE, Uganda, USA and Italy. Top six teams of Qualifiers will play in the World T20 to be held on 2014.

Nepal cricket team sponsors Standard Chartered Bank and Varun Beverage felicitated the ICC World Cricket League Division 3 winning team with cash prizes and bade farewell to the team, which leaves for UAE to compete in the ICC World T20 Qualifiers. The qualifiers begins in UAE from Friday.
Nepal won Division 3 in Bermuda on 7th of May, defeating Uganda by five wickets. The team is leaving for UAE on Sunday for the World T20 Cup Qualifiers. Team Nepal will also be participating in the ICC World Cup Qualifiers (for the World Cup of 50-over format), that will be played in New Zealand in January.
Standard Chartered and Varun Beverage, the producer of Pepsi in Nepal, gave away Rs 20,000 each to all the 16 members of the team, including 15 players and coach Pubudu Dasanayake. Standard Chartered CEO Joseph Silvanus Varun Beverage Unit Manager Rohit Kohli handed over the cheques.
At the occasion, Kohli of Varun Beverage assured of future support to Nepal cricket. “As sponsor Varun Beverage will further support you to make cricket a big platform,” said Kohli adding that the team could do wonders in the upcoming tournaments.
Silvanus of Standard Chartered opined that team was carrying the hope and aspiration of entire Nepal. “You are the leaders of Nepal, bring back all the glory you can,” Silvanus said.
Assuring that his side will come up with best performance, skipper Paras Khadka said they have been training hard for the last two months. “It is the time we have been waiting for,” said Khadka refereeing to the Qualifiers of UAE. “As a team we have really been working hard for last two months. It has always been a childhood dream for all of us to go through to the World Cup. It is a lifetime opportunity and hopefully we will make it.”
Shanti Ram Sharma, the Acting Secretary at the Ministry of Youth and Sports shared that the entire country held big expectations from the cricket team. “Cricket is the only team game of Nepal to reach the world arena. The country is expecting lot from you. You have the capability and zeal for winning,” said Sharma.

(L-R) Unit Manager of Varun Beverage Rohit Kohli, Nepal captain Paras Khadka, Standard Chartered Bank CEO Joseph Silvanus and Head of Corporate Affairs Diwakar Paudel pose for a photo after handing over cheques to the Nepal Cricket Team.

Nepal is pitted alongside with Afghanistan, Scotland, The Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, Kenya, Bermuda and Denmark in group B of the qualifiers. Nepal will take on Denmark in its opening match on Friday. Similarly, Ireland, Canada, UAE, Namibia, Hong Kong, Uganda, USA and Italy make up group A. Top six teams of the qualifiers will make to the finals to be held on 2014.

Only one sponsor on jersey

Despite having two sponsors — Pepsi and Standard Chartered — Nepal cricket team will wear the jersey with the logo of a single sponsor – Standard Chartered – during the ICC World T20 Qualifiers. Pepsi and the Standard Chartered have been the joint sponsors of Nepali teams for last five years. According to Ashok Nath Pyakurel, the General Secretary of Cricket Association of Nepal, “A team could wear jersey of only one sponsor during the main event of International Cricket Council (ICC). Thus the team will wear jersey with Standard Chartered logo in the T20 Qualifiers and Pepsi logo in the World Cup Qualifiers in January (in New Zealand). The decision was taken after consultations with both the sponsors.” Standard Chartered have been the sponsor of the team since 2007 and Pepsi since 2009. According to ICC regulation, the logo of sponsor should not exceed than 42 square centimeters.

Live streaming of World T20 Qualifiers

Cricket fans can view Nepal’s three group stage matches of ICC World T20 Qualifiers live through web-cast. According to Nepal’s coach Pubudu Dassanayake, International Cricket Council (ICC) will web-cast the live streaming of Nepal’s match against ODI teams Scotland, the Netherlands and Afghanistan. Nepal will play against Scotland on November 18, the Netherlands two days later and Afghanistan on November 22. ICC will also web-cast knockout stage matches.

Abhishek Jha produced an all-round performance to help Region No 7 (Janakpur) defeat Region No 4 (Bhairahawa) by 13 runs at the TU Cricket Ground in Kirtipur on Saturday for its second victory in the Wai Wai U-19 National Cricket Tournament.
Player-of-the-match Jha scored the highest 42 runs for Janakpur and later claimed six wickets in the team’s second match of Group B. Jha struck six fours and a six in his 75-ball knock after Janakpur elected to bat first.
Opener Hari Shankar Sah (20), Ansaj Upadhyaya (13), Rahul Pratap Singh (16), Chandan Jha (15) and Sameer Nepal (12) were the other batsmen to reach double figures as Janakpur was bowled out for 141 runs in 47.2 overs.
Rupesh Bastola claimed three wickets for Bhairahawa, while Devendra Somare, Dipendra Yadav and Susan Bhari took two each.
Jha then claimed six wickets to skittle Bhairahawa for 128 runs in 33.2 overs. He gave away 24 runs in his 9.2 overs, which included a maiden over. Gopal Singh and Rahul Pratap Singh took two wickets each. Bhairahawa received 34 runs in extras.
Nur Dhoj Sen (22), Bijay Sunar (24), Prakash KC (23) and Rupesh Bastola (11 not out) were the only Bhairahawa batsmen to reach double figures.
In another Group B match, Region No 9 (Kanchanpur) defeated Region No 5 (Nepalgunj) by three wickets at the Pulchowk Engineering Ground to make a winning start to its campaign.
Nepalgunj scored 144 runs in 37.3 overs after electing to bat first and Kanchanpur reached the target with 12 overs to spare losing seven wickets.
Seventh-order batsman Amar Singh Rautela’s 44 off 40 went in vain as seven Nepalgunj batsmen failed to reach double figures. Bhupendra Thapa (39 off 73) and Prajwal Shahi (21 off 35) were the only other batsmen to achieve double figure.
The player of the match Lalit Singh Bhandari and Deependra Airee pocketed three wickets each for Kanchanpur and Chandan Rawal got two.
In the run chase, opener batsman Sunil Dhamal scored 38 off 74 for Kanchanpur. Similarly, Raju Rijal contributed 32 run while Deependra Airee (17) and Yagyaman Kumal (7) were unbeaten.
Siddhant Shahi of Nepalgunj three and Aakash Bista two wickets respectively.
Nepalgunj will lock horn against Janakpur at the Pulchowk ground and Region no 8 (Pokhara) will lock horns against Kanchanpur at TU ground on Sunday.