KATHMANDU, April 25: Departmental team Armed Police Force Club (APF) secured its second gold medal in cricket after the men’s team defeated Nepal Police Club by 32 runs in the final match played at Kohalpur Cricket Ground in Banke on Wednesday. APF’s women's team had won the gold medal in cricket on Tuesday.
APF batted first to post a total of 110 runs for the loss of eight wickets in 20 overs. Anil Kumar Sah top-scored with 31 runs from 30 deliveries which included three fours supported by Shankar Rana’s 23 runs from 40 deliveries which included three boundaries and a six. Sah shared a partnership of 30 runs with skipper Sharad Vesawkar for the first wicket and 35 runs with Shankar Rana for the second wicket.
Police’s Lalit Narayan Rajbanshi picked up three wickets supported by Sagar Dhakal’s two wickets to help limit APF. Similarly, Dipendra Singh Airee and Manjit Shrestha shared a wicket each.
In reply, Police was bundled out for 78 runs in 20 overs. Player of the match Kamal Singh Airee produced a menacing spell of four overs picking up three wickets, registering two maidens and conceding four runs. Similarly, Basant Regmi and Sharad Vesawkar shared two wickets each in their respective economic spells. Likewise, Amar Singh Routela and Bhuvan Karki chipped in a wicket each.
APF wins men's cricket gold
In the match for bronze medal, departmental team Tribhuvan Army Club defeated Province 1 by 69 runs to secure the win at Kohalpur Cricket Ground in Banke on Wednesday. Army and Province 1 had lost to Police and APF Club in the semifinals on Tuesday.
Army batted first after winning the toss and scored 111 for the loss of seven wickets in 20 overs. Nepal U-19 cricket team captain Rohit Kumar Paudel top-scored with 34 runs from 20 deliveries which included two fours and two sixes to help the departmental team post a respectable total in a pitch difficult to bat.
Similarly, Bhim Sarki scored 19 runs in the match supported by Hari Bahadur Chauhan and Rajesh Pulami Magar’s 12 runs each. Pushpa Thapa picked up two wickets for Province 1.
In reply, Province 1 was bundled out for 44 runs in 10.5 overs. Thapa and Shravan Yadav contributed 12 and 10 runs, respectively, whilst none of the other batsmen was able to reach double figures during the chase.
Player of the match Susan Bhari picked five wickets in three overs conceding six runs to help Army win bronze medal. Likewise, Hare Krishna Jha picked up two wickets supported by Pulami and Shahab Alam’s a wicket each in the match.
Bhari was adjudged the player of the tournament. Similarly, Sudur Paschim’s Khadak Bohora and Army’s Shahab Alam were adjudged best batsman and bowler of the national games.
