Makwanpur Cricket Academy (MCA) clinched the U-16 Academy Cup twenty20  cricket tournament with a 41-run win over Nepal Cricket School (NCS) in  the final here at the Machhapuchhre cricket grounds on Saturday.

Makwanpur posted a moderate 108-7 total on the board but secured victory  by restricting NCS for 67 runs in 15.5 overs. Makwanpur lost their top  four batsmen for 43 runs inside 11 overs but small contributions from the  middle order batsmen Shubh Kansakar and Suraj Timalsina ultimately proved  crucial for them.

N0 5 batsman Kansakar struck a fiery 31 off 20 balls with four sixes, while  No 6 batsman Timalsina remained unbeaten on 23, his cautious 29-ball  innings included just one boundary. Makwanpur skipper Sarans Gautam  (14), who opened the bat with Bishal Phuyal (2) was the only other batsman  to score in double figures. Bigyan Gautam took two, while Shashank Agrawal  and Rijan Thapa took one wicket apiece.

Openers Birat Bhandari, who scored 17, and Sachin Sharma, who made 14,  gave NCS a reasonable 24-run start. But the dismissal of Bhandari in the sixth over triggered the NCS collapse that saw the team’s innings  eventually fold for a lowly 68 runs. Any hopes NCS may be harbouring all  but vanished when their skipper Rit Gautam, the tournament’s top scorer with 204 runs, was out for one. Pratish GC put on some resistance with a  19-ball 17 but his knock could not prevent NCS from losing the match. Man-of-the-match  Sakar Gajurel and Kansakar took three wickets each, while Raju Yadav and  Sarans Gautam bagged two apiece.

The champions received Rs 75,000 and the runners-up earned Rs 35,000. Gajurel was adjudged the player of the tournament for his excellent bowling that yielded 15 wickets in total. 

Mekh Bahadur Sen of Pokhara Cricket Academy was named the best bowler for a tournament haul of 12 wickets. Rit Gautam took home the best batsman award. Player of the tournament winner received a cricket kit bag as all the other best individuals got cricket bats for their effort.

Khukuri Entertainment and Devibas Events & Media Pvt Ltd had organised the event in association with Machhapuchhre Cricket Club.