In a low-total match, Kathmandu bowled out Nepalgunj for 46 in 16.4 overs to register an eight-run win after scoring 54 in 16 overs. [break]
Captain Neera Rajopadhyay took five wickets in her four overs giving away 10 runs to wreck the Nepalgunj innings. Neera was supported by Geeta Khadka and Shraddha Aryal, who grabbed two wickets each.
Nepalgunj began the chase well adding 18 runs for opening stand before Geeta Chudal got Sita Rana (10) in the seventh over. From then on, it was a disaster for Nepalgunj as Neera and friends began taking wickets at regular intervals.
No other Nepalgunj batswoman reached double-digit score.
Earlier, Kathmandu won the toss and elected to bat first but Sita Shahi and Binu Buda Magar took four wickets each to bowl out the hosts, playing the final for the first time in three events, for a lowly total.
Only Shraddha got double-digit scoring 17 off 40 balls while Kathmandu also benefitted from 18 extras. Nary Thapa and Samana Pun got a wicket each for Nepalgunj.
Neera was also named the best batswoman of the event for scoring 117 at an average of 29.25 in 5 league matches while Nepalgunj captain Nary was named the best bowler. She took 11 wickets in five matches.
Khina Thapa of Region No 4 Bhairahawa got the ´player of the series´ award for her 70 runs and 12 wickets in 5 league matches.
Prizes were distributed by chief guest Peter Bakker, the operation manager of CQ University of Australia which donated Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) equipment worth $10,000; CAN President Binaya Raj Pandey and Vice President Upendra Prasad Bhattarai.
Also present were Tarak Dixit (secretary of CAN) and Lal Babu Chaudhary (representative from the Chaudhary Group).
Biratnagar enter men´s T20 final
Region No 1 Biratnagar set up a final clash against Region No 4 Bhairahawa in the ongoing Pepsi T20 National Cricket Tournament.
In the last match of the league round, Biratnagar and Bhairahawa met each other on Sunday at the Pulchowk Cricket Grounds. Biratnagar were in a must-win situation to secure the berth in the final and they did it by 15 runs.
Biratnagar, who were put into bat first, compiled 132 runs in the allotted 20 overs losing seven wickets. Opener Mehboob Alam struck 58 runs off 53 balls and Pushpa Thapa contributed 17 runs. This was the second half-century by Alam during the ongoing tournament. Rahul Kumar BK took three wickets for Bhairahawa.
Chasing the modest total, Bhairahawa were at 117 runs for the loss of nine wickets in 20 overs. Man-of-the-match Alam took two wickets and Manjeet Shrestha, Santosh Baral, Ajay Rajbanshi and Kundan Singh claimed a wicket each to restrict Bhairahawa. Durgesh Rajali and Rahul BK were the highest scorers for Bhairahawa as both scored 18 runs each.
Biratnagar and Bhairahawa will clash once again on Monday in the final of the tournament.
In another league match of the day, Region No 3 Kathmandu defeated Region No 6 Baitadi by eight wickets but failed to qualify for the final as Biratnagar won their match against Bhairahawa.
Batting first, Baitadi put up 119 runs in 20 overs losing seven wickets. Kathmandu chased the target in 14 overs losing just two wickets. Gyanendra Malla scored the highest 50 runs off 39 balls for Kathmandu.
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