Rupandehi Challengers became the first team to qualify for the playoff  with third successive win, while Dhangadi Team Chauraha’s chances of making it to the second round looks extremely bleak after their third straight  loss in the Dhangadi Premier League here on Friday.

Rupandehi beat Kathmandu Goldens by 15 runs to stay on top of the six-team standings with a maximum six points. Chauraha team led by national team  skipper Paras Khadka lost to CYC Attariya by 40 runs and stay firmly rooted at the bottom without a point after three games and only two games  in hand.

Rupandehi posted 135-9 and restricted Kathmandu for  120-9 in the first match held at the SSP Cricket Grounds. Rupandehi had  their top order batsmen, especially Nurdhoj Sen (37) and Puspa Thapa (36)  to thank for to post the total. Sen was at his aggressive best clobbering  three sixes and as many fours in his 22-ball cameo, while Thapa hit four  boundaries and a six in his fluent 33-ball knock. National team bowling  spearhead Sompal Kami was pick of the Kathmandu bowlers with figures of  4-21. Manjeet Shrestha, skipper Basanta Regmi and Santosh Bhatta also  grabbed one wicket each.

Kathmandu fell short of their target thanks to a discipline Rupandehi bowling  effort led by their skipper Shakti Gauchan, who took three wickets. Bikram  Sob and Krishna Karki also grabbed two each. Man-of-the-match  Pushpa Thapa and Shahab Alam also snared one wicket apiece. Sumit Maharjan  (27), Shubhendu Pandey (20) and Rohit Kumar Paudel (20) all made starts  for Kathmandu but failed to convert them into big scores.

In the second game, Attariya scored 142-4 with significant contributions  from four batsmen. Chauraha managed just 102-9 reply.

Opener Roshan Nepali top scored for Attariya with 32 and Pradeep Airee, batting at No 3, made 26. But it was Karan KC and Yogendra Singh Karki  whose explosive knocks helped swell the Attariya total. In an unbroken  fifth wicket stand, the duo plundered 47 runs in the last 20 balls. Karki scored 27  off 11 balls and KC made 12-ball 25. Saurav Khanal took two, while Aarif  Sheikh and Sushan Bhari bagged one wicket each for Chauraha.

In reply, Chauraha appeared set for a humiliating defeat after being reduced to 39-8 but a whirlwind 39-run knock from No 10 batsman  Ramnaresh Giri salvaged some pride for the team led by national team skipper  Khadka.

Chauraha’s chase died early in the third over after a triple strike from veteran medium pacer Mehboob Alam, who dismissed opener Adil  Khan, dangerman Aarif Sheikh and the skipper himself all for ducks. Giri  slammed four sixes and two fours in his 20-ball knock. Saurav Khanal  remained stranded on 23 not out. Man-of-the-match Alam returned with figures of 3-23 in four overs.  Surendra Chand also took three and Binod Lama two wickets for Attariya.

The six-team tournament is being held in round robin league with top four to qualify for the playoffs. Of the four teams, top two will battle it out for a place in the final. The losers will get another chance to reach the final vie second Qualifier, where they will play the winners of the Eliminator match between the third and fourth placed teams. The tournament offers Rs 1.5 million to the champions and Rs 700,000 to the runners-up.

Summaries

Rupandehi Challengers 135-9 in 20 overs (N Sen 37, P Thapa 36; S Kami 4-21, S Bhatta 1-19) beat Kathmandu Goldens 120-9 in 20 overs (S Maharjan 27, S Pandey 20; S Gauchan 3-26, B Sob 3-22) by 15 runs

Man-of-the-match: P Thapa

CYC Attariya 142-4 in 20 overs (R Nepali 32, Y Karki 27*; S Khanal 2-25, Aarif Sheikh 1-23) beat Dhangadi Team Chauraha 102-9 in 20 overs (R Giri 39, S Khanal 23*; S Chand 3-15, M Alam 3-23) by 40 runs

Man-of-the-match: M Alam  

Standings

Teams    P    W    L    NR    Pts    NRR

Rupandehi    3    3    0    0    6    +1.183

Kathmandu    4    2    2    0    4    +0.688

Attariya    4    2    2    0    4    -0.149

Biratnagar    3    2    1    0    4    -0.209

Kanchanpur    3    1    2    0    2    -0.450

Chauraha    3    0    3    0    0    -1.233