Province 5 registered their second consecutive victory in the U-16 Cricket League with an eight-wicket humbling of Province 4 at the TU Stadium on Friday.

A five-wicket haul from Abhishek Gautam bundled out Province 4 for just 90 runs in 28.5 overs after they elected to bat first. Opener Sushant Thapa led the chase with an unbeaten 43 off 42 as Province replied with 91-2 in 14.5 overs. Thapa gave a strong reply in chase of a below-par total starting with a 51-run partnership with his opening pair Diwas Senchuri, who scored 22 off 25 with three hits to the fence. After Senchuri’s departure Thapa added another 32 runs with Amar Mishra (18) to take the team virtually across the finishing line.

Thapa’s innings included seven hits to the fence. Nitesh Giri and Aditya Thapa took a wicket each for Province 4. Earlier, Bishal Bikram KC took the first two wickets reducing Province 4 to 12-2 in 6.1 overs. Opener Arjun Kumal (23) and Aditya (21) tried to consolidate the innings with a 37-run third wicket stand before Suraj Khadka removed both the batsmen in a space of 10 runs. Man-of-the-match Gautam then wreaked havoc in the middle and lower middle order returning the figures of 5-23 from 5.5 overs. Sharad Tiwari (18) was the next best scorer for Province 4.

In the first match, Suwash Ayer scored a magnificent half century leading Province 7 to a five-wicket victory over Province 2. Batting first, half centuries from Prashant Singh and Parshuram Yadav lifted Province 2 to 169-6 in 30 overs. Province 7 innings revolved around Ayer who forged two crucial partnerships guiding them to 173-5 in 26.5 overs.

Ayer shared 46 runs for the second wicket with Sunil Chand (16) and a match-winning 75-run partnership with Rahul Bhandari to take the team through. Man-of-the-match Ayer made 80 off 69 with 10 fours and two sixes. Bhandari chipped in 27 off 35 with a six. Prashant Singh took 2-41 for Province 7. Bishal Patel, Nikhil Singh and Rohit Chhetri also took a wicket each.

Earlier, Province 2 were left in tatters after three wickets from Naren Saud and two from Sunil Lothyal reduced them to 46-5 in 10.2 overs. Prashant and Yadav resurrected the innings with a 97-run sixth wicket partnership pushing Province 2 to a challenging total. Prashant made a run-a-ball 60 with six boundaries and a six. Yadav made 50 off 72 with four boundaries. Patel (15 not out) and Sheikh Imran (10) were other batsmen to make runs in double figures.