KATHMANDU, Dec 23: Avinash Karn’s four-wicket-haul delivered fourth win for Biratnagar Warriors in as many matches of EPL 2017. They are the first team to qualify for the playoffs. Veteran spinner Basant Regmi chipped in with three wickets to bundle out Bhairahawa for 114 runs in 18.3 overs. Warriors won the match by 35 runs.
The big blow of Puneet Bisht’s wicket was scalped by Avinash Karn in the first ball of the ninth over. Bisht made 15 runs from 14 deliveries which included a six. It was one-way traffic after that as Bhairahawa kept losing wickets in quick intervals. Pradeep Airee and Hari Shankar Shah scored 18 runs each for Gladiators, the highest individual score of the chase.
earlier, Anshuman Rath’s second fifty of the EPL powered Biratnagar Warriors to 149 runs for the loss of six wickets. Hari Shankar Shah made crucial breakthroughs in the end overs to limit Biratnagar under 150 runs who were 118 for two at the end of 17th over.
Shah picked up three important wickets of Rath, Babar Hayat, and Anil Sah to derail the Biratnagar innings. Spinners Sharad Vesawkar and Puneet Mehra delivered combined eight overs conceding only 37 runs to limit the scoring in mid-overs. Aarif Sheikh also picked up two wickets in his only over of the innings.
Biratnagar Warriors wins by 7 runs in dramatic super over
Gladiators won the toss and invited Biratnagar to bat first. Warriors lost their opener Aasif in second over of the innings to Dipesh Shrestha. Then Babar Hayat combined with Anshuman Rath put up a partnership of 93 runs. Rath scored his second fifty of the tournament. He scored 57 runs which included eight fours. Babar Hayat was kept silent throughout his stay at crease scoring 36 runs from 35 deliveries that included two fours and a six.
Match Summary
Biratnagar Warriors 149/6 (20 Ov)
Anshuman Rath 57 (50) 8 fours
Babar Hayat 36 (35) 2 fours, 1 six
Hari Shankar Shah 4-0-35-3
Aarif Sheikh 1-0-12-2
Bhairahawa Gladiators 114 all out (18.3 Ov)
Avinash Karn 4-0-25-4
Basant Regmi 3.3-0-22-3
Paras Khadka 4-0-15-1
Biratnagar Warriors won the match by 35 runs. Man of the match: Avinash Karn.
