Nepal Police Club joined Tribhuvan Army Club in the semi-finals of the PM Cup One-Day National cricket tournament with a 156-run drubbing of Province 2 at the TU Stadium in Kirtipur on Sunday.

As many as five batsmen made significant contributions with the bat as NPC compiled 253-9 in 50 overs. In reply Province 2 were dismissed for 97 runs in 29 overs. Both the teams were in hunt for a semi-final berth after Army  confirmed their place in the last-four on Saturday. As it stands Police  advanced as Group 'B' winners with maximum eight points from four matches, while Army finished in second with six points. Had Province 2 won today, they  would have tied on six points with Police and the net run-rate would have come into consideration to decide the runner-up.

Opener Sunil Dhamala and Anil Sah laid the foundation for a big total putting on 87 runs for the first wicket in 19.3 overs. The openers fell in the space of  10 runs but Amit Shrestha propelled his team's innings with a fluent half  century. Dhamala scored a composed 43 off 77 balls while Sah made 37 off 50 deliveries.

Shrestha took charge after the dismissal of the openers, clobbering five boundaries and a six in his 42-ball 50. No 8 batsman Kushal Bhurtel and Aarif Sheikh also helped swell the NPC total. Bhurtel scored 32-ball 35 with four  boundaries and a six, while Sheikh hit 32 off 45 balls with three hits to the fence. Samsad Sheikh was pick of the Province 2 bowlers with figures of 4-41 and Rashid Khan claimed 2-40.

Dipendra Singh Airee, who scored 18, compensated with his batting failure by claimed five wickets that derailed the Province 2 run chase. Opener Harisankhar  Shah, who became one of the five Airee victims, top scored for Province 2 with 29. Veteran allrounder Mehboob Alam was their next best contributor with 16-ball 21 including three sixes. Airee returned with figures of 5-28 from 10 overs and Lalit Narayan Rajbanshi claimed 3-21 off from overs.

In another match at the Mulpani cricket ground, Province 5 stunned Group 'A'  table-topper Nepal Armed Police Force Club by three wickets under Duckworth-Lewis method in a rain-reduced match. APF were bowled out for 184 in 49.4 overs thanks largely to a dogged innings from Pradeep Airee. Set a revised target of 142 from 32 overs after rain intervention, Province 5 overcame the total for the loss of seven wickets in 29.5 overs.

Airee was the only bright spot in APF batting as the No 3 batsmen dug deep to score unbeaten 77. His painstaking 131-ball innings included three fours and a six. No 8 batsman Sandeep Jhora also chipped in run-a-ball 22. Krishna Karki took three and Sandeep Sunar claimed two wickets for Province 5.

Province 5 had their top order batsmen to thank for to complete the run chase. No 6 batsman Pranit Thapa Magar top-scored with 30 while, Saurav Khanal (29), Shubhendu Pandey (20), Nischal  Chaudhary (17) and Sandeep Sunar (15) also contributed invaluable runs to the total. Amar Singh Routela took two while Avinash Bohara, Bhuvan Karki and Prithu Baskota claimed one wicket each for APF.