APF defeated Region No 7 (Janakpur) by nine wickets in the match played at the TU Cricket Ground, Kirtipur while NPC beat Region No 8 (Pokhara) by 114 runs in the match played at the Institute of Engineering Ground, Pulchowk.[break]
Winning the toss, APF invited Janakpur to bat first and bowled the team out for just 46 runs in 27.3 overs. Shakti Gauchan played a key role in restricting Janakpur to a paltry total with a five-wicket haul. Gauchan bowled six maidens and conceded only three runs in his eight overs.
Mehboob Alam started Janakpur´s downfall in the second over of the innings when he trapped Anil Kumar Mandal (0) leg before wicket (LBW) with seven runs on the board. Alam then bowled Prahlad Sah (1).
Opener Shobha Kant Pandey was only the Janakpur batsman to score in double figures with 16 runs off 67 balls. Three Janakpur batsmen were out for duck while two were run out. Prithu Baskota took a wicket for APF.
APF met the target of 47 runs playing only 9.5 overs and losing one wicket. Paresh Lohani was stumped by Janakpur wicketkeeper Sunil Kumar Sah off Raj Mohammad for a run-a-ball 22 when the team needed seven runs for victory. Opener Subash Khakurel scored 18 runs off 32 balls while Sunam Gautam scored five runs.
In the next match, NPC elected to bat first and scored 227 runs losing all the wickets in 36.2 overs. The match was reduced to 37 overs due to wet outfield.
NPC enjoyed a good 86-run partnership between Mahesh Chhetri and Binod Bhandari. Chhetri scored 38 runs off 52 balls with two boundaries, and Bhandari made 49 off 44 balls with six fours and two huge sixes.
After the fall of the openers NPC did not had any good partnership. Faijlur Rahman scored a quick 48 runs off 45 balls with five fours and two sixes.
Nischal Pandey grabbed five wickets in his eight-over spell conceding 53 runs, while Dipesh Khatri, Amrit Shrestha, Dipen Lamgade and Pradeep Rawat took a wicket each.
Chasing a total of 228, Pokhara was bowled out for 113 runs in 33 overs. Pokhara did not have a good start as it lost both the openers, Lamgade and Rawat, when the team was yet to open its account. Shailesh Shrivastav tried to hold the innings together but was sent back to the pavilion by Rahul BK. Shrivastav scored 21 runs off 32 balls with two fours and a six.
Dipesh Khatri was not out on 43 runs off 58 balls that included three boundaries and two huge sixes. Five Pokhara batsmen were out for duck while three other batsmen failed to reach double figures.
Bhuwan Karki was the most successful bowler as he took three wickets in his five-over spell conceding 18 runs. Manjeet Shrestha, Rahul Kumar BK and Pushpa Thapa grabbed two wickets each.
With the win NPC has climbed to the top of Group A while APF is still in the third place.
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