Army, APF keep final hopes alive at PM Cup

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Mar. 24: Tribhuvan Army Club and APF Club strengthened their hopes of reaching the PM Cup Men's National Cricket final by securing victories against Lumbini Province and Gandaki Province, respectively, on Sunday.

Army outplayed Lumbini by 131 runs at Siddharthanagar to claim their seventh win. Despite equalling Nepal Police Club on points (both at 14 from seven wins in seven matches), Army sits second due to net run rate. Army's final berth hinges on their clash against defending champions Nepal Police, who need just one win from their remaining two matches to confirm their place in the final.

At Bhairahawa, APF edged Gandaki by 31 runs, notching their fifth win to reach 10 points with two matches still to play. The three-time PM Cup champions need to win their remaining matches by significant margins and rely on Army’s slip-up to stake their claim for a spot in the final.

At Siddhartha Cricket Stadium, Army opted to bat first and posted 243 runs before being bowled out in 49.2 overs. Lumbini, already eliminated from final contention, were bundled out for 112 in 27.1 overs. Left-arm spinner Shahab Alam dismantled Lumbini's batting with figures of 4-25 in 9.1 overs, taking his wicket tally to 24 for the tournament, second only to Lalit Rajbanshi’s 30 scalps. Naren Saud chipped in with 2-37, while Sompal Kami, Aakash Chand, and Basir Ahamad picked up a wicket apiece.

Captain Dev Khanal led Lumbini's batting with a knock of 37, followed by contributions from Manish Thapa (13), Biprason KC (13), Nar Sarki (12), and Nirmal Gurung (10). Army’s innings had an early wobble, losing three wickets for 44 runs in 13.4 overs, including Santosh Karki (1), Trit Raj Das (31), and Imran Sheikh (12). 

Basir Ahamad steadied the ship with a gritty 86 off 104 balls, forming an 81-run partnership with Bhim Sharki (44 off 53 balls) for the fourth wicket. Sompal Kami added a useful 28, and Kushal Malla chipped in with 17 runs. 

Basir, named Player of the Match, fell as the eighth wicket in the 47th over with the team’s score at 231. Lumbini's skipper Dev deployed seven bowlers, with Ajay Chauhan impressing with a four-wicket haul.

At Extra Tech Oval, APF batted first and put up 258 runs before being all out in 49.2 overs. Gandaki came close in the chase but faltered, managing 227/8 in 50 overs. Gandaki’s top contributors included Arjun Kumal (39 off 82 balls), Dinesh Budhamagar (34 off 45 balls), Muskhan (23 off 61 balls), and Amrit Gurung (23 off 25 balls). Sudip Aryal remained unbeaten with 25 runs. Avishek Gautam picked three wickets for APF, while Amar Routela grabbed two scalps.

Earlier, Lokesh Bam and Aasif Sheikh laid a solid foundation for APF with a 125-run opening stand. Lokesh contributed 46 off 55 balls, striking six boundaries, while Aasif top-scored with a brisk 80 off 74 balls, laced with 10 fours and one six. Contributions from Sumit Maharjan (31), Bhuvan Karki (15), Amar Routela (24), and Kamal Airee (25) bolstered the total. Gandaki’s bowlers Sandeep Parajuli and Sudip Aryal claimed three wickets each.

At Deukhuri International Stadium, Sudur Paschim sealed their third win by defeating Koshi Province by 31 runs. Electing to bat, Sudur Paschim relied on a heroic century from Kiran Thagunna, who smashed 115 off 81 balls, including 11 fours and 4 sixes. Kiran's second hundred came after Sudur Paschim faltered to 65/5 in 14 overs. He was dismissed as the eighth wicket in the 40th over, taking his tournament tally to 337 runs, surpassing Army's Trit Raj Das (333 runs). Other notable contributions came from Tek Rawat (16), Arjun BK (15), Narayan Joshi (14), and Sher Malla (14).

Gyanendra Shrestha was the standout bowler for Koshi Province with figures of 4-48, while Firdosh Ansari and Ankit Subedi picked up two wickets each. Koshi Province managed 211 runs before being bowled out in 45.1 overs. Shakib Haq led their batting effort with 62 off 66 balls, supported by Aaish Bhattarai (36 off 90 balls) and skipper Ankit Subedi (38). Saurya Shrestha was the pick of the bowlers for Sudur Paschim, claiming three wickets.