Koshi packed at 25, faces sixth loss; Police defeats Army

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Jan. 22: Koshi Province played its sixth match of the PM Cup Men’s National Cricket Tournament on Sunday and lost it in a bitter manner than the previous five. 

Electing to field first, Koshi was able to bundle out Gandaki at 167 runs in 48.2 overs at Mulpani International Cricket Ground. 

Avyash Timsina took a six-wicket haul for Koshi bowling 9.2 overs with two maidens. Five of the top six batsmen in Gandaki’s line-up – Sameer Kandel (0 off 8), Muskan Thapa (67 off 122), Krish Ayer (golden duck), Aswani Rana (6 off 9) and Amrit Gurung (4 off 12) – and the final batsmen Sandeep Parajuli were the victims of Timsina.

Muskan was the highest scorer crossing a half-century followed by Captain Bipin Khatri’s 42 runs off 71 balls. Kamal Pariyar was the only other batsman for Gandaki to score in two digits with 13 runs off 28 deliveries. 

Firodh Ansari, Kamal Khatri and Sonu Mandal also bagged a wicket each for Koshi.

Koshi was desperate for a win as it had tasted defeat in all five previous matches in the campaign. However, the chase ended in 15.2 overs at a score of only 25 runs with none of the batsman scoring in two digits. 

Captain Bipin Khatri was great with the ball as he replied to Koshi with a six-wicket haul. In seven overs he bowled, Khatri only gave four runs with three maidens. Sandeep Parajuli took three wickets and Ankit Neupane one.

Koshi’s captain Ankit Subedi was the team’s highest scorer with eight runs off six balls. Opener Sonu Ansari and last-wicket batsman Hemant Rai were sent back for a golden duck with Firdosh Ansari and Samir Karki failing to open their accounts in three and five balls they faced respectively.

Koshi, with almost no chance to qualify as the top 4 teams, is yet to face Karnali, Sudur Pashchim and Lumbini in the group stage.

On the other hand, Tribhuwan Army Club was able to escape a bitter defeat against Nepal Police Club in a departmental derby at Siddhartha Cricket Ground in Rupandehi on Sunday.

Chasing a target of 141 runs by Nepal Police in a match reduced to 33 overs each due to bad weather, Army lost three wickets in 3.2 overs with the team at a score of only three runs. Top-three batsmen of Army – Imran Sheikh, Santosh Karki and Sandeep Rajali – were sent back to the pavilion for a duck.

Bhim Sharki and Kushal Malla then started a decent partnership until the 22nd over as Malla departed at 35 runs in 48 balls after getting bowled by his national team colleague Dipendra Singh Airee. Sharki was able to reach his half-century but was caught by Airee in 25.5 overs at 52 off 76. Army’s captain Binod Bhandari, who came in the middle-order, also departed at 19 runs. None of the other lower-order batsmen scored enough as the team was bowled out at 127 runs with four balls remaining. 

Sagar Dhakal and Lalit Rajbanshi took three wickets each while Rashid Khan claimed two.

Sunil Dhamala was Police’s highest scorer with 52 runs off 80 balls. None of the others scored above 20 runs with Kushal Bhurtel gone for a golden duck. Aarif Sheikh and Airee could only score 18 and 13 runs respectively.

Sompal Kami took four wickets on Day 9 with Shahab Alam and Bibek Yadav bagging two each for Army.