APF thumped Region No 1 (Biratnagar) by 84 runs to win its third match in a row and inched closer to the semifinals with a match in hand. In another match, playing its second match Kathmandu edged past Region No 2 (Birgunj) by five wickets and handed the latter its third defeat in as many matches played. [break]
Electing to bat first, APF scored 159/6 and bowled out Biratnagar for 75 runs in 16.4 overs. Man-of-the-match Basanta Regmi came up with an all-round performance in APF´s big victory. Basanta scored 35 runs and claimed three wickets.
Batman of Region No. 1 Biratnagar Kamal Kishor Premi bowled out by the Basant Regmi of Armed Police Force. (Photo: Bikash Karki)
Paresh Lohani was the highest scorer for APF collecting 37 off 29 with two fours and two sixes. Sharad Vesawkar remained unbeaten on 34 runs off 22 balls. Vesawkar hit two fours. Basanta hit four boundaries facing 29 deliveries.
Subash Khakurel (24), Gyanendra Malla (14) and Sunam Gautam (unbeaten 6) contributed for APF while skipper Paras Khadka was out without scoring.
Skipper Manjeet Shrestha and Kamal Kishor Premi of Biratnagar bagged two wickets apiece while Pushpa Thapa claimed one.
Mehboob Alam (27) and Pushpa Thapa (18) were the only batsmen for Biratnagar to score double digit figures. Bidhan Goswami and Kamal Kishor Premi were out without scoring. Manoj Mandal (4), Manjeet Shrestha (6), Sunny Pun (2), Neeraj Thakur (5), Santosh Baral (1) and Raj Kumar Pradhan (3) were out cheaply.
Sanjam Regmi of APF claimed two wickets while Amrit Bhattarai, Shakti Gauchan and Sunam Gautam took one wicket each.
In another match, the first-wicket partnership between Robin Joshi and Pramod Basnet helped Kathmandu surpass the 139-run target set by Birgunj that elected to bat first after winning the toss.
Joshi (47) and Basnet (35) played a 85-run partnership before Joshi was bowled by Naresh Raj Giri in 11.2 overs. Rajesh Pulami (10), Indra Kamal Manandhar (not out 24) and captain Prasanna Shakya (17) contributed for Kathmandu. Rupesh Shrivastav was unbeaten on three runs.
Naresh Raj Giri of Birgunj claimed two wickets while Jitendra Mukhiya, Avinash Karn and Hasim Ansari got one scalp each.
Earlier, Suraj Kurmi (32), Amit Shrestha (27), Shiva Tandukar (22), Bikram Basnet (unbeaten 20) had contributed for Birgunj.
Prasanna Shakya was the most successful bowler for Kathmandu claiming two wickets while Niraj Basnet, Keshav Raj Pant and Bijay Gautam got one scalp each.
Wednesday´s matches
Baitadi Vs Nepalgunj @ Kirtipur
Pokhara Vs Janakpur @ Kirtipur
Biratnagar Vs Kathmandu @ Pulchowk
Birgunj Vs Bhairahawa @ Pulchowk
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