Nepal Cricket School (NCS) and Great Himalayan Cricket Academy (GHCA) won their respective matches of the Khukuri Challenger Twenty20 in Mulpani on Saturday. 

NCS defeated Oasis Cricket Academy by 48 runs on a back of a half century from opener Jitendra Singh Thakuri. The U-19 opener struck a 34-ball 53 leading his side to 145-6 in the game reduced to 17 overs due to bad weather. Two wickets each from Pratish GC, Ayush Baniya and Safal KC then saw Oasis skittled out for 97 in the last ball of their innings. 

Openers Bishal Limbu and Avinash Singh (10) gave a modest start adding 29 runs for the first wicket but once the latter lost his wicket, Oasis’ struggle began in the game. Limbu top scored for them with 20 off 21 with three hits to the fence. 

Thakuri had taken NCS close to triple figures forging notable partnerships with Rahul Pokhrel (16) and Rit Gautam (19). The man-of-the-match hit seven boundaries and a six. Dipesh Das then upped the ante smashing six boundaries in his quickfire 41 not out off 18 deliveries. Sachin Sharma and Subodh Dhungel took two wickets each for Oasis. 

GHCA hammered IOE Thapathali by eight wickets after they restricted the opponents to 62-9 in 17 overs. Abhishek Basnet led the chase with an unbeaten innings as GHCA reached 66-2 in just nine overs. Opener Basnet was unbeaten on 27 off 25 with five fours, while Sushant Timalsina made 20 off 12 with four hits to the fence. 

GHCA boasted a strong bowling line up and they made the most of it when U-19 allrounder Kamal Singh Airee (3-12) and Sagar Dhakal (3-10) accounted for six wickets conceding just 22 runs between them. Rupesh Srivastav took 2-5 from three overs.