Golden Gate International College fixed College Cricket League Twenty20 title clash with Triton International College following a clinical display in a 71-run semi-final crushing of Kathmandu University on Saturday.

Put in to bat first, modest contributions from Sumit Maharjan, Anil Kumar Sah and Sonu Tamang guided Golden Gate to 143-9 in 20 overs. KU were quickly reduced to 12-4 and never recovered before being bundled out for 72 in 19.4 overs.

With a star-studded line-up consisting of Nepal’s international and domestic stars, Golden Gate now head into Sunday’s final as firm favourites against Triton. In the first semi-final reduced to five-over-a-side due to rain, Triton defeated Himalaya College by eight wickets.

Himalaya could only manage 23-4 in an innings that included only one boundary. Lalit Narayan Rajbanshi, Bikram Sob and Arun Airee took a wicket each for Triton. Man-of-the-match Airee returned to make 14 runs off 11 balls with two boundaries as Triton reached 26-2 in 3.3 overs. Rupesh Singh took both Triton wickets to fall.

Golden Gate went into the second semi-final boasting a tournament-high total of 216 runs in their last league game against Tribhuvan University on Friday. But were left shell-shocked after losing Friday’s centurion Dipendra Singh Airee (duck), Sharad Vesawkar (five) and skipper Prithu Baskota (naught) with just 17 runs on the board.

Maharjan and opener Anil Kumar Sah led the recovery stitching 60 runs for the fourth wicket. KU hit back after Bikash Yadav got rid of both set batsmen in a space of four balls. Maharjan played with aggression hitting three sixes and as many boundaries in a 19-ball 37 and Sah’s 39-ball 32 included two fours and a six.

Yadav struck again removing Jitendra Singh Thakuri (nine) as Golden Gate were precariously placed at 88-6 in 13.2 overs. But Tamang played a crucial cameo in a 41-run seventh wicket partnership with Amar Singh Routela to lift the team total. Tamang, who hit two fours and a six, made a 19-ball 27. Apart from Yadav, Rupesh Shrivastav also took three wickets for KU.

Nandan Yadav and Airee gave a perfect start to Golden Gate picking up two wickets each. KU continued to lose wickets at regular intervals and were folded for a lowly total. No 9 batsman Naveen Yadav top scored for them with an 18-ball 21 hitting a six and a four. Sonu Devkota clubbed two sixes and a four in his 19 off 17.

Amar Singh Routela took 3-9 from three overs with Baskota also taking two scalps for Golden Gate. Maharjan was adjudged the man-of-the-match.