Kathmandu Gorkhas managed to clinch a win in its fourth match, capitalizing on Lumbini Lions’ batting collapse in today’s game in Kirtipur. Lumbini was bowled out for 135 runs while it was chasing a158-run target set by Kathmandu.
In Tuesday’s match under the Siddhartha Bank Nepal Premier League (NPL), Kathmandu defeated Lumbini by 22 runs. This is Lumbini’s second consecutive defeat.
Kathmandu, meanwhile, secured its first win after two consecutive losses. They had defeated defending champions Janakpur Bolts in the opening match, but lost the next two matches to Biratnagar Kings and Sudurpaschim Royals. However, with the victory over Lumbini in their fourth match, Kathmandu made a comeback, keeping its playoff hope alive.
Each team plays seven matches in the league stage, after which the bottom four teams in the points table will be eliminated. With the second to fourth rounds underway, five teams have now recorded two losses apiece.
Pokhara and Janakpur remain winless in both matches, while Kathmandu has won two and lost two out of four games. Lumbini and Karnali have each recorded one win and two losses from three matches. Chitwan has one win and one loss, whereas Sudurpaschim and Biratnagar remain unbeaten up to their third match.
To restrict the opponent to 135 runs, Milind Kumar and Gerhard Erasmus took 2 wickets apiece giving away 18 and 27 runs, respectively. Similarly,
Karan KC, Shahab Alam, Santosh Yadav and Rashid Khan grabbed 1 wicket each for Kathmandu.
Sher Malla's 27-run score was the highest for Lumbini. Malla hit 3 sixes off 18 deliveries. Similarly, Dilip Nath and D'Arcy Short scored 25 and 22 runs while captain Rohit Paudel and Gulbadin Naib contribued 11 runs each. The other batsmen could not score significant runs.
Earlier, invited to bat first after losing the toss at the TU International Cricket Ground, Kathmandu notched up 157 runs losing 8 wickets in the allotted 20 overs.
Aakash Tripathi topped the score with 32 runs including 3 fours off 36 deliveries followed by Santosh Yadav with 26 runs. Similarly, Milind Kumar and Gerhard Erasmus scored 17 runs each while Rashid Khan contributed 14 runs. The other batsmen could not achieve significant runs.
In reply, Ruben Trumpelmann, Sher Malla, Gulbadin Naib and Rohit Paudel took 2 wickets each for Lumbini Lions.
Kathmandu under the captainship of Karan KC has played three matches with a win and two defeats so far. The Kathmandu Gorkhas has collected two points and is in the third position.
Likewise, Captain Rohit Paudel is leading the team Lumbini. So far, Lumbini has played three games and has gathered two points from a single victory. Today's match is crucial for both teams for the playoff race.
Biratnagar Kings and Chitwan Rhinos will lock their horns in the 12th match of the League on Wednesday.
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