Kathmandu Goldens secured a Qualifier berth after a 100-run hammering of  Rupandehi Challengers in the Dhangadhi Premier League Twenty20 cricket  tournament at the wet Fapla cricket ground in Dhangadhi on Sunday.

The only team to have an unbeaten record so far in the tournament, Goldens  grind out a commendable 133-7 before dismissing Challengers to a tournament low  score of 33 in 15.1 overs. Goldens have seven points from four matches can only  finish at worst in second place. Top four teams after the league stages qualify  for playoff. The top two will play the first Qualifier with the winners to earn  tickets to the final. The losers will have a second shot at making it to the  final as they play the winners of the Eliminator match between the third and  fourth placed team.

Only CYC Attariya can leapfrog Kathmandu Goldens into top  place in the league provided they win both their games and Golden lose their  last. Despite the defeat, Challengers still have a chance of making it to the  playoff along with Mahendranagar United and Biratnagar Kings. Dhangadhi Stars  out of the playoff race having collected just one point from four games.

Electing to bat first Goldens had their Indian recruit Ankit Dabas to thank for  posting 133-7. Goldens lost Dabas’ compatriot Gaurav Tomar (8) to be 9-1 in the  second over but a 33-run second wicket stand between Anil Sah and skipper Malla  steadied the ship. Sah scored a composed 23 off 26 with two fours and a six,  while Malla, who guided his team to the final last season but eventually lost  to Team Chauraha Dhangadhi, scored 11-ball 12. Malla’s dismissal in the sixth  over brought Dabas and the batsman helped his team cross the three-figure.

When  Puneet Mehra had Dabas caught by Babar Hayat in the 18th over, Goldens were comfortably placed at 110-5. Dabas slammed three sixes and a four in his fluent  40-ball 43. Rashid Khan (14 not out), Yogendra Singh Karki (13) and veteran  allrounder Mehboob Alam (11) all chipped in valuable runs to the total. Anil  Kharel, Mehra and Bikram Sob claimed two wicket each for Challengers.

In reply, Challengers’ hopes all but ended by the sixth over after losing  half their squad for 12 runs. Sumit Maharjan top scored for Challengers with five runs. Nandan Yadav was pick of the Goldens bowlers with 3-5.  Lalit Singh Rajbanshi and Surya Tamang also snared two wickets each, while  man-of-the-match Dabas and Karki took one each.

Standings

Team    P    W    L    NR    Pts    NRR

Kathmandu Goldens    4    3    0    1    7    1.819

CYC Attariya    3    2    1    0    4    0.899

Rupandehi Challengers    4    2    2    0    4    -1.313

Mahendranagar United    5    1    2    2    4    -0.128

Biratnagar Kings    4    1    1    2    4    -0.437

Dhangadhi Stars    4    0    3    1    1    -0.465

Summary

Mahendranagar United 55-3 in 5.4 overs (S Anand 17, A Sheikh 15*; B Karki 2-18, D Rawat 1-8) beat CYC Attariya 54-5 in 6 overs (S Patel 19, J Kolsawala 10, D Airee 10) by seven wickets

Man-of-the-match: S Dhakal

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Kathmandu Goldens 133-7 in 20 overs (A Dabas 43, A Sah 23; A Kharel 2-19, B Sob 2-30) beat Rupandehi Challengers 33 in 15.1 overs (S Maharjan 5; N Yadav 3-5, L Rajbanshi 2-4) by 100 runs

Man-of-the-match: A Dabas