Watt's century powers Karnali to first NPL win

By a staff reporter,Kathmandu, Nov. 23: Karnali secured their first win in the Nepal Premier League (NPL) with a commanding nine-wicket victory over Lumbini Lions at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Stadium on Saturday. Karnali chased down a target of 157 runs in just 12.2 overs, propelled by a sensational unbeaten century from Mark Watt.

Watt, who was in impeccable form, smashed 114 runs off just 44 balls, including 6 fours and 12 sixes, to guide Karnali to a comfortable win. This marked his first century in the ongoing NPL and was a standout moment in the tournament so far. His explosive knock left Lumbini's bowlers struggling to make an impact, and his partnership with Will Bosisto, who finished not out on 29 from 20 balls, ensured that Karnali reached the target with 7 balls to spare. Opener Priyank Pranchal contributed 12 runs before being dismissed.

Watt’s performance earned him the Player of the Match award, while Lumbini's Sher Malla was the only bowler to claim a wicket, finishing with figures of 1/44.

Earlier in the match, Lumbini were invited to bat first after losing the toss and posted a total of 156/8 in their 20 overs. Despite a valiant effort from captain Rohit Poudel, who top-scored with 49 runs off 43 balls, Lumbini struggled to build partnerships. Poudel's knock included 4 fours and 2 sixes before he was caught by Najibullah Zadran off Karnali's Sompal Kami in the 17th over.

Lumbini's batting was further stifled by tight bowling from Karnali. Sandeep Jora was dismissed early for just 1 run, and D’Arcy Short could only manage 19 runs, despite hitting 4 fours. Lumbini’s middle order, including Ruben Trumpelman (29*), Johannes Jonathan Smith (23), and Gulbadin Naib (7), added some late runs, but their efforts were not enough to set a challenging total.

Karnali’s bowlers, led by Nandan Yadav, who claimed 2 wickets, were disciplined throughout. Sompal Kami, Gulshan Jha, Mark Watt, Bipin Sharma, and Yuvraj Khatri all took one wicket each, ensuring Lumbini’s total never reached a competitive mark.

With this win, Karnali moved to two points in the standings after suffering a four-wicket loss to Chitwan Rhinos in their opening match. For Lumbini, the defeat marked their first loss in the tournament after having beaten Chitwan Rhinos by six wickets in their previous encounter.

The next match of the NPL will see Kathmandu Gorkhas take on Biratnagar Kings in a day-night fixture later today.