Defending champion Biratnagar Warriors registered its second consecutive victory in the Everest Premier League edging Pokhara Rhinos in Super Over in a low-scoring thriller at the TU Stadium on Tuesday.

South African Richard Levi’s run making spree ended in the third match as his early departure saw Rhinos struggle for runs and was restricted to 84-7 in 20 overs on a centre-wicket difficult to bat on. Warriors flirted with its batting order and it allowed Rhinos to stage a comeback which it did by skittling out the opponent for 84 runs.

Karan KC, who had almost handed Warriors the victory, and skipper Paras Khadka took to the crease in the Super Over with medium pacer Paul Couglin bowling for Rhinos. KC played all six balls picking up four couples and hitting two sixes to make 20 runs. Rhinos sent in Levi and Binod Bhandari but Warriors Dutch recruit Roelof van der Merwe put them on back foot after bowling dot in the first ball and allowing just a single in the second. Bhandari hit a six in the third ball. Two singles in the next two balls ended Rhinos hopes as it managed just 13 runs in the Super Over.

The third consecutive defeat meant Kyle Coetzer’s Rhinos is now facing exit, while Warriors registered its second win in a row.

Rhinos’ first innings was all about how Levi was going to fare coming into the match with quickfire scores of 79 and 84 in previous two matches. But Van der Merwe did the trick early on, removing Coetzer (four) and Levi (three) in his first two overs. “We had a plan against him (Levi). We watched how he played in the first two matches and knew if we gave him room, he would go after the bowlers. So it was all about not giving him even a little bit of room,” said Khadka.

Rhinos never looked like recovering after the departure of the opener and a 30-run partnership between Paul Coughlin and Rajesh Pulami Magar (17) took them to what ultimately turned out to be a challenging total. Couglin made a match-high 20 off 27 with two boundaries. Another Dutch recruit Paul van Meekeren took 3-17 in four overs and Van Der Merwe returned 2-20.

Warriors lost skipper Khadka (one) and Anil Sah (naught) early on. Aasif Sheikh and Smit Patel (eight) offered a brief resistance before the slump continued for Warriors who were once placed at 56-7 by the 13th over.  But KC (15) appeared to take Warriors across the finishing line again before Basanta Regmi got rid of him with six runs left. Warriors needed just two runs from the last over with one wicket left and Bikram Sob tied the match when he had Van Meekren caught at short cover with Robeen Chhetri stranded on unbeaten 12.

Spinners Bipin Khatri took 3-15, while Sushan Bhari Shrestha, Sob and Coughlin took had two scalps apiece.

Summaries

Biratnagar Warriors 84 all out in 19.3 overs (A Sheikh 19, K KC 15; B Khatri 3-15, B Sob 2-11) beats Pokhara Rhinos 84-7 in 20 overs (P Coughlin 30, RP Magar 17; P van Meekeren 3-17, R van der Merwe 2-20) in Super Over

Man-of-the-match: K KC

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Bhairahawa Gladiators 143 all out in 19.3 overs (R ten Doeschate 35, P Airee 26; S Dhakal 3-27, G Scott 2-13) beats Chitwan Tigers 131-9 in 20 overs (P Stirling 38, J Simpson 26; S Vesawkar 2-24, RI Singh 2-23) by 12 runs

Man-of-the-match: R ten Doeschate

Chitwan Tigers throws away solid start, yet again

Chitwan Tigers once again threw away a solid start to stare at elimination in the Everest Premier League as it lost to Bhairahawa Gladiators by 12 runs for the third consecutive defeat.

Electing to field first, Tigers managed to contain a strong Gladiators batting lineup for 143 runs in 19.3 overs. Paul Stirling led Tigers’ reply taking the team close to 50 in four overs with Sandeep Sunar (nine) but once the Irish skipper was out, it lost the momentum and was restricted to 131-9 in 20 overs. The defeat meant Tigers is now dependant on result from other matches in its bid to earn one of the four spots in playoffs. Gladiators won two in a row.

Stirling scored quickly and neared his half century only to get undone by an outstanding catch from wicketkeeper Pradeep Airee who dived to his left to get rid of the Irish. Stirling scored 38 from 23 with five fours and two sixes. After his departure, John Simpson played with grit in 26-ball 22 that included two sixes. Skipper Sharad Vesawkar and Ravi Inder Singh took two wickets for Gladiators.

Earlier, Pradeep Airee gave Gladiators a quick start adding 35 runs for the first wicket in 4.3 overs before two wickets in two balls made it 35-2. Airee ran himself out making an 18-ball 26 with three fours and a six. Stirling then bowled his opening partner Kushal Malla (three).

Ravi Inder Singh, who struck a magnificent century in its historic 216-run chase against Pokhara Rhinos on Sunday, anchored the innings with Ryan ten Doeschate with a 45-run third wicket stand. Singh scored 25 off 21 with three boundaries and fell to Dipendra Singh Airee. In the same over Gladiators lost its skipper Sharad Vesawkar for one.

Doeschate continued to play his shot and made 35 off 25 with three sixes and a four. Aarif Sheikh (18) and Puneet Mehra (12) were other batsmen to make runs in double figures as Gladiators failed to get a desired lift at the end of its innings. Sagar Dhakal took 3-27 off four overs for Tigers with George Scott claiming 2-13 from 3.3 overs. (PR)