With the win, Birgunj has four points from three matches in Group B of the tournament. Region No 4 (Bhairahawa) leads the points table with four points from two matches while Region No 8 (Pokhara) has two points from two matches. [break]
Birgunj would qualify for the semifinals if Bhairahawa beat Pokhara or lost by a very narrow margin on Tuesday. Janakpur has already crashed out of the tournament losing all its three group stage matches.
On Monday, Janakpur elected to bat but was all out for a meager 81 runs in 22.2 overs. Avinash Karn claimed six wickets, including the wicket of Pradeep Sapkota, to rattle the Janakpur batting line-up. Karn´s bowling figure was 8.2-3-14-6. Irshad Ahmad dismissed three Janakpur batsmen. Ahmad bowled four overs and gave away 23 runs. Ram Naresh Giri also took a wicket.
Batting at No 10, Sapkota top scored for Janakpur as he clobbered 27 runs off 22 balls with four boundaries and a six. By 17.2 overs, Janakpur was teetering at 48/9 but Sapkota put up a 33-run partnership with Gopal Singh (unbeaten 2 runs) for the last wicket. Birgunj conceded 27 runs as extras.
In reply, openers Aarif Sheikh (8 runs off 36 balls) and Amit Shrestha (66 runs off 42 balls) remained unbeaten to seal the victory in 13 overs. Shrestha struck eight fours and four towering sixes.
Medium pacer Karn of Birgunj was adjudged the man-of-the-match.
Bhairahawa will take on Pokhara in the last match of Group A on Tuesday.
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