KATHMANDU, Nov 24: Biratnagar Kings secured a thrilling win in a low-scoring contest against Janakpur Bolts at the TU International Cricket Stadium in Kirtipur on Monday under the ongoing Nepal Premier League (NPL).
With the help of captain Sandeep Lamichhane’s magical bowling, Biratnagar defeated the defending champions Janakpur by 9 runs, marking their third consecutive victory in the tournament.
Chasing a modest target of 136 runs, Janakpur Bolts were restricted to 126 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in the allotted 20 overs.
Biratnagar captain Lamichhane emerged as the hero, dismantling Janakpur’s batting lineup. Bowling his full quota of four overs, he delivered one maiden, conceded only 11 runs, and claimed four crucial wickets.
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He dismissed Anil Sah (4), Lahiru Milantha (23), Sangeeth Cooray (0), and Rupesh Singh (8), putting Janakpur under intense pressure.
For Janakpur, Nicol Loftie-Eaton top-scored with 41 runs off 30 balls, hitting four boundaries and one six, but his effort was not enough to carry the team to victory. Sanjay Krishnamurthi added 20 runs, while Aasif Sheikh contributed 13.
Until the 17th over, Janakpur were in a competitive position at 111/5, needing 25 runs from 18 balls. However, Biratnagar’s bowlers tightened their grip in the final overs, denying Janakpur’s batters any opportunity to accelerate.
For Biratnagar, Surya Tamang took 2 wickets, while Marchant De Lange and Subham Ranjane picked up one wicket each.
Earlier, after losing the toss and being invited to bat first, Biratnagar Kings posted 135 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in 20 overs.
Biratnagar had a mixed start, scoring 40 runs in the powerplay for the loss of one wicket. Opener Lokesh Bam scored 28 runs off 26 balls.
After George Munsey fell for 10 and Martin Guptill for 13, Biratnagar came under slight pressure.
However, the middle order stabilized the innings, with Shubham Ranjan scoring 37 off 29 balls and Basir Ahamad contributing 36 off 35 balls, guiding the team to a competitive total.
For Janakpur, Rupesh Singh and Sangeeth Cooray took two wickets each, while Aaditya Mahata claimed one. Though Lalit Rajbanshi and Kishore Mahato bowled economically, they remained wicketless.
