Sports
Karki trounces Green
National cricket team skipper Paras Khadka-led Nepal ‘Red’ defeated Basanta Regmi skippered Nepal ‘Green’ by 16 runs in the opening day of Super League TournamentNational cricket team skipper Paras Khadka-led Nepal ‘Red’ defeated Basanta Regmi skippered Nepal ‘Green’ by 16 runs in the opening day of Super League Tournament organised as a selection event for the upcoming ICC WCL Championship matches against Papua New Guinea to be held in the UAE.
At the TU grounds, Red were 187 all out in 42 overs before left arm spinner Bhuwan Karki cancelled out a solid opening wicket stand between Mahesh Chhetri and Amit Shrestha as Green were bundled out for 171 in 44.3 overs. In Pulchowk, Sharad Vesawkar-led Nepal ‘Orange’ cruised to a seven-wicket victory over Shakti Gauchan’s Nepal ‘Grey’. Grey were 137 all out in 35.1 overs after Sandeep Lamichhane picked up 4-16 from 6.1 overs. Pradeep Airee top scored for Grey with 29 off 33 that included six boundaries, while Aashish Dhami and Hasim Ansari chipped in 28 each. Manjeet Shrestha and Avinash Karn also took two wickets each for Orange. Orange were reeling at 40-3 losing Subash Khakurel (18), Faizlur Rehman Khan (two) and Vesawkar (10) before Rajesh Pulami and Antim Thapa sailed the team home with a brilliant 98-run unbroken stand. Thapa struck 51 off 63 with four boundaries and a six, while Pulami made 45 off 84 with three fours. Lalit Singh Bhandari took two wickets for Grey.
In Kirtipur, Red didn’t have big contributors but managed to reach 187 where a 66-run stand for the sixth wicket between Dilip Nath and Prashanna Shakya was decisive. Shakya top scored with 38 off 34 hitting four boundaries and two sixes, while Nath made 30 off 52 with three boundaries. Sagar Pun made a run-a-ball 32 hitting five boundaries from the top order with Anil Mandal (27) and Khadka (26) also making runs in double figures. Former U-19 skipper Prithu Baskota took 4-44 from eight overs as Karan KC (3-14) and Regmi (3-37) shared six wickets between them.
Chhetri and Shrestha collected 69 runs for first wicket but once the former was undone by Pun, Orange lost their way. Pun soon got rid of Shrestha and Karki did the rest. Shrestha made 38 off 59 with three fours and a six with Chhetri making 46-ball 33 that included six fours. Karki’s figures read 5-39 from 9.3 overs, his wicket included that of second highest scorer Santosh Bhatt who made 35 from 49 striking five fours. Kumar Thapa also picked up two wickets for Red.