Lumbini Lions beat Pokhara and Janakpur to stay unbeaten in NPL
The Lumbini Lions beat the Pokhara Avengers by eight wickets and the Janakpur Bolts by 16 runs. According to The Kathmandu Post, they lead the Nepal Premier League with seven points.
The Lumbini Lions have won both of their latest Nepal Premier League (NPL) matches at the Tribhuvan University (TU) International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur, beating the Pokhara Avengers by eight wickets and then the Janakpur Bolts by 16 runs to stay at the top of the table.
Eight wickets over Pokhara
On Tuesday, November 3, Lumbini won the toss, chose to field and kept the Avengers to 97 for nine, according to The Kathmandu Post. Ruben Trumpelmann took three wickets and Tilak Bhandari two, while Chamika Karunaratne, run out for 25, was Pokhara's highest scorer. The Post reported that Pokhara managed only 23 runs for two wickets in the powerplay and needed 88 balls to reach 50.
Chasing 98, the Lions reached 99 for two in 11.4 overs, with 50 balls to spare, the Post reported. Openers Aasif Sheikh (seven) and D’Arcy Short (13) fell early, but captain Rohit Paudel (47 not out) and Niroshan Dickwella (27 not out) saw the team home with an unbeaten 77-run partnership. It was Pokhara's third defeat in three matches, leaving them without a win, the Post said, while the result took Lumbini to the top of the standings and stretched their unbeaten run to three matches.
Sixteen runs over Janakpur
On Thursday, November 5, Lumbini were put in to bat by Janakpur and made 149 for eight in their 20 overs, My Republica reported, adding 24 runs in the last two overs. Short fell to the first ball of the innings, off Lalit Rajbanshi's bowling. Captain Paudel top-scored, with 34 runs according to My Republica and 38 according to the Post. Dickwella made 27, Dilip Nath 25 and Sheikh 21, and Janakpur's Bishal Susling and Rahul Yadav took two wickets each.
Janakpur replied with 133 for eight, the Post reported, after standing at 55 for five at the halfway point. Captain Harmeet Singh scored 33 off 20 balls, including three sixes, Aaditya Mahata finished unbeaten on 30 and Saif Hassan made 28. For Lumbini, Short took three wickets for 23 runs in four overs, Tilak Bhandari and Sher Malla took two each and Trumpelmann one.
According to the Post, it was Lumbini's third win in four matches. It took them to seven points, three clear of the other teams, and their game against the Chitwan Rhinos was abandoned because of rain.