Sports
New Horizon, SPA enter semis
New Horizon Cricket Club and Sudur Paschimanchal Academy (SPA) advanced to the semi-finals of the Ruslan Cup Twenty20 cricket tournament on Sunday.New Horizon Cricket Club and Sudur Paschimanchal Academy (SPA) advanced to the semi-finals of the Ruslan Cup Twenty20 cricket tournament on Sunday.
New Horizon dispatched Nepali Rhinos by eight runs and SPA beat Kathmandu Cricket Training Centre (KCTC) by 46 runs here at the Tribhuwan University cricket grounds. In the first quarter-final match, New Horizon stunned the team led by national team stalwart Sharad Vesawkar. New Horizon scored a lowly 104 runs in 19.1 overs but remarkably defended the total by restricting Rhinos for 96-9 in 20 overs.
Nirmal Thapa top scored for New Horizon with a fluent 30 runs off 34 deliveries, while No 9 batsman Bikram Bhusal contributed 19-ball 27 late on in what initially appeared a below-par total. Skipper Vesawkar and Sushil Kandel claimed three wicket each for the Rhinos.
In reply, Rhinos were down and out of the contest after being reduced to 45-8 only for a late cameos from Sonu Tamang and Shiva Tandukar helped save their team’s blushes. Tamang top scored with 24-ball 27 with four boundaries and a six, while Tandukar hit unbeaten 19 runs, his 16-ball innings included four hits to the fence. Man-of-the-match Krishna Karki took 3-9, while Shabab Alam and Bikram Bhusal snared two wickets apiece
In the second quarter-final match, SPA rode on a fine half century from Rajveer Singh to post 160-5 in 20 overs and restricted KCTC for 114-9 in 20 overs. No 4 batsman Singh slammed eight boundaries in his 43-ball knock. Man-of-the-match Singh completed his half century in 39 balls. Sandeep Dhami also scored 33 and Dipendra Thapa 21 to help SPA compile a big total on the board. Sumit Jha and Surya Lama grabbed two wickets each for KCTC.
Opener Sumit Maharjan fought a lonely battle in KCTC run chase as the top scored with 41 runs, his 38-ball stay included five boundaries and a six. No 10 batsman Sumit Jha was their next best contributor with 14 runs. Binod Lama took three, while Mahesh Adhikari and Amit Poudel claimed two wickets each for SPA.