Allrounder Saurav Khanal produced one of the most entertaining knocks in country’s domestic cricket smashing a 49-ball 90 not out but couldn’t manage to avert Western Region’s 16-run loss to Nepal Armed Police Force (APF) Club in the Prime Minister Cup One Day National cricket tournament on Monday.

In a rain-affected Group ‘A’ match at the Tribhuvan University grounds, APF were well placed at 160-4 in 37 overs before rain intervened and the match was halted for three and half hours which saw Western get a revised target of 148 runs from 20 overs. APF managed to stop Western at 131-6 but not before surviving Khanal scare.

The match was all done for APF when they reduced Western to 33-6 in 9.2 overs before Khanal’s entertaining innings began. Khanal hit 11 sixes and three boundaries in his whirlwind knock and kept his side in the game until the last over.

At a time when Western needed 57 runs from the last 12 balls, Khanal almost did the unthinkable when he smashed seamer Avinash Bohora for five sixes in the penultimate over. The brutal hitting left Western with 27 runs to win from the last six balls but Anil Sah held firm conceding just 10 runs. Khanal had also hit a six in the last over.

Khanal said he was connecting the ball well. “I think APF could have reached 220 to 240 had there been a complete 50-over game for them. It could have been difficult for us to chase that big total. We lost more than half of the team early in the chase but I was connecting the ball pretty well. Since there was nothing to lose, I decided to have a go at the bowlers and managed to make runs,” said Khanal who was rewarded the man-of-the-match for his effort.

Western could have snatched a victory had there been a hitter from the other end to support him. He forged a 98-run unbeaten partnership for the seventh wicket with Bidhan Shrestha, whose painstaking boundaryless innings of 24-ball eight cost Western the match. Rohit Kumar Poudel (nine) was the next best scorer for Western after Khanal. For APF, skipper Gyanendra Malla picked up 3-29 from four overs, while Bhuwan Karki (1-7) and Sandeep Jhora (1-7) bowled economical overs to tigthen the screws.

Earlier, APF’s top order was all about their opener Subash Khakurel who got inolved in a 40-run parntership with Malla for the third wicket. Khakurel made a 64-ball 50 hitting four boundaries and a six. Aasif Sheikh scored 19 off 34 with three boundaries but APF were not yet safe when they were reduced to 94-4 in 23.3 overs.

Pradeep Airee joined Malla at the crease and shared an unbeaten 66-run partnership for the fifth wicket that ultimately proved decisive. Airee made a gritty 45 from 52 balls with five boundaries and a six, while Malla scored 33 from 52 with two fours before rain brought an end to their innings. Lal Bahadur Adhikari picked up two wickets for Western.

On Tuesday, Sharad Vesawkar’s Central Region will take on Mid-western Region which is led by Shubhendu Pandey. All Group ‘B’ matches have been completed with departmental teams Tribhuvan Army Club and Nepal Police Club making to the semi-finals.

Summary

Nepal APF Club 160-4 in 37 overs (S Khakurel 50, P Airee 45 not out; L Adhikari 2-31, D Shahi 1-30) beat Western Region 131-6 in 20 overs (S Khanal 90 not out, RK Poudel 9; G Malla 3-29, B Karki 1-7) by 16 runs under D/L Method

Man-of-the-match: S Khanal