Bagmati, APF, Koshi, Lumbini start PM Cup Women’s Cricket with wins

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Dec. 22: Bagmati Province, Armed Police Force (APF), Lumbini Province and Koshi Province emerged victorious in the four opening matches of the PM Cup Women’s National Cricket Tournament that started on Thursday.

Bagmati defeated Madhesh Province by 28 runs and Lumbini notched up a four-wicket win over Gandaki Province at the TU Cricket Ground. 

Likewise, APF trounced Sudurpashchim Province by nine wickets and Koshi eased past Karnali Province by 10 wickets in the Upper Mulpani Cricket Ground.

In the 20 overs, Bagmati gave a target of 118 to Madhesh in the loss of four wickets. Yashoda Bist and Ashmina Karmacharya remained not out at 47 (39) and 30 (31) respectively to help Bagmati post the target. 

However, Madhesh was only able to score 89 in the loss of five wickets by the end of 20 overs. Puja Mahato was Madhes’ highest scorer with 35 runs off 45 balls.

Title defender APF also started the campaign with a win. The second-wicket partnership of Jyoti Pandey, who scored 49 off 48 balls, and Indu Barma (31 runs off 44 balls) helped APF reach the victory target of 88. Sudurpashchim’s batters could only score 87 in the loss of nine wickets.

On the other hand, Koshi got hold of the easiest win of the day. After restricting Karnali to a total of 33 for the loss of nine wickets in the match reduced to 16 overs at Mulpani, Openers Rubina Chhetry, 25 off 17 balls, and Kajal Shrestha, 5 off 3 balls, steered Koshi to the victory 

target in 3.1 overs.

Koshi’s bowlers Apsara Begam took three wickets and gave 12 runs while Alisha Khadiya took two wickets and gave only three runs against Karnali. 

In the fourth match of the day, Laxmi Chaudhary’s knock of 42 runs from 44 balls helped Lumbini reach the target of 103 with three overs remaining. 

Electing to bat first, Gandaki rode on a knock of 33 runs off 18 balls of Sooman Khatiwada to score 102/4 in 20 overs. Khatiwada and Anjali Bishwokarma (30 off 51) remained not out for Gandaki.

Bagmati, Karnali, Madhes and Lumbini will be playing against Koshi, Gandaki, APF and Sudurpashchim on Friday respectively.