Nepal Cricket School (NCS) United of Kathmandu and Makawanpur Cricket Academy won their respective matches of the U-16 Academy Cup at the Machhapuchhre cricket grounds on Tuesday.

NCS hammered Rock XI by 93 runs after amassing 180-6 from 20 overs with skipper Rit Gautam scoring a half century. Rock XI were folded for 87 in just 17 overs with a collective bowling effort.

Rock XI had a modest start after openers Kushal Bhattarai (17) and Sailesh Magar (17) opened with a 32-run partnership. But their middle order crumbled as it was all about crossing triple figures for them. Abhay Kapoor played with aggression, smashing 21 runs from 16 balls with three sixes. Ashraya Basnet took 3-29 for NCS, while Nitesh Yadav and Rijan Thapa picked up two wickets each.

Earlier, Birat Bhandari and Sachin Sharma (28) gave a strong start to NCS, plundering 79 runs from 9.2 overs for the first wicket before the middle order build on the foundation. Bhandari made 42 from 33 balls with four boundaries and three sixes.

Man-of-the-match Gautam then played a captain’s knock scoring 53 off 33 with five sixes and a four, while Rijan (26) and Pratish GC (13) also scored in double digits. Sushant Rai and Sandip Parajuli picked up two wickets each for Rock XI.

In the second match, Makawanpur hammered Machhapuchhre Cricket Club (MCC) by 78 runs. Riding on a half century from opener Sarans Gautam, Makawanpur made 153-7 before a five-wicket haul from man-of-the-match Sakar Gajurel saw MCC bundled out for just 75 runs in 16.2 overs.

Sandesh Bhandari was the leading scorer for the hosts making 26 off 17 with four boundaries and a six. Gajurel took 5-26 from 3.2 overs with Bipul Kharel also taking two scalps for Makawanpur.

Gautam dominated the Makawanpur scorecard making 53 from 41 balls with four boundaries and a six. Santwan Poudel and Himal Pun took two wickets each for MCC.