Sunny-Naresh blistering inning and Rashid Khan magical bowling helped Kathmandu Goldens to stay on league’s pinnacle, beating Rupandehi Challengers by 63 runs.
Gyanendra Malla won the battle of coin and asked his troops to bat first. Player of the match from previous encounter, Amit Shrestha and newly added member of Kathmandu’s squad, Subodh Bhati came out in the middle to open the inning for Goldens. Both of them looked in fine touch to provide solid foundation for Goldens middle order batsmen. They involved in 65 runs partnership for the first wicket, consuming 39 balls, before Bhati’s bat kissed the outside edge off Routela’s delivery. Bhati scored 42 runs off 25 balls with the help of 4 sixes and 3 fours. Where his opening fellow, Amit Shrestha, provided him a perfect company with well composed 30 runs from 27 balls, with the help of 2 sixes and a four. Then, Golden’s skipper, Malla, was unfortunate to dismissed in the form of run out, after facing 15 balls which he capitalized for 20 runs. After dismissal of Puspa Thapa (14), Goldens were at 109 runs during 15th over with 4 batsmen already back in the change room. Then, Sunny Patel and Naresh Budayair tighten the grip of their bat and entertain the Golden’s fan with flurry of boundaries. Patel, who topped the Golden’s batting card, smashed unbeaten 48 runs from 19 balls. His blistering inning consist of 5 fours and 3 hit for maximum. Budayair was also on same mood with unbeaten 30 runs from 18 balls including 2 fours and sixes respectively. Patel and Budayair’s heroic resulted Golden’s 186 runs with the lost of 4 wickets in inscribed 20 overs. It wasn’t a ideal day in duty for Challenger’s bowlers, as Routela and Mukhiya concede runs on the rate of over 10 runs per over. Routela, Bhusal and Mehmood managed to hold on with a wicket each.
Chasing the mammoth target, Challengers couldn’t asked for better start than that, as experienced opening pair of Pradeep Airee and Sagar pun gave them a identical start. They shared 71 runs for the first wicket, facing altogether 52 balls. Airee was exceptional on that occasion with 57 runs from 42 balls where he charged 5 fours and sixes respectively. Where, Sagar Pun added 18 runs from 15 balls. Sufyan Mehmood (04), who batted at no.3 failed to impress today. Then incoming wicket-keeper batsman, Dipak Prasad (10) hold for while before getting out off Rajbanshi delivery. Following the same pattern, Lohani (07), Ansari (09), Routela (02), Bhushal (07), Gauchan (05), Mukhiya (00) and Shrestha (00), all were answer less and got back to pavilion, one after another. Some good deliveries and some senseless shot’s selection summed of Challenger’s terrific batting collapse, where they lost 10 wickets for their last 51 runs, from 71 for 0 to bundled-out on 123 runs. Rashid Khan was the man with his magical arm for Goldens. Khan picked up 4 wickets in his short spell of 16 balls, expensing just 6 runs. Challengers can’t denied the effort of Lalit Rajbanshi and Shahab Alam who picked up 3 and 2 wickets respectively. Sunny Patel again stand out, this time with a ball in his hand, he picked up a wicket in his tight bowling spell of 4 overs, expensing just 8 runs from it.
Challengers will take on Biratnagar Kings where Goldens will lock horn against CYC Attariya on 4th April.
