KATHMANDU, Jan 19: Sushan Bhari continued his glorious wicket-taking form helping the Tribhuvan Army Club to secure the second edition of Manmohan Memorial (MM) Cup National One-Day Cricket Tournament held in Sunsari on Saturday.
Bhari and his bowlers helped Army Club dismiss Nepal Police Club for 99 runs, defending a paltry total of 184 in the final match played at Inaruwa Cricket Ground. Police Club could only face 24.4 overs during the chase.
The player-of-the-match Bhari opened the bowling and registered four wickets in the match conceding 24 runs off his six overs in the match. His opening bowling partner Bikram Sob chipped in with a wicket. Likewise, fellow left arm bowling partners Kushal Malla and Shahab Alam picked up two and three wickets respectively to secure the convincing win in the final match.
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Three Police Club batsmen including Pawan Sarraf who was promoted to open the batting were dismissed for ducks. Similarly, Sunil Dhamala, the in-from batsman, and national cricket team vice-captain Dipendra Singh Airee scored eight and five runs respectively. Wicket-keeper batsman Dilip Nath and captain Manjeet Shrestha were also struggled to get going with four and a run respectively in the chase.
Kushal Bhurtel, batting at number seven, scored some shots during his short stay at the crease as he kept losing batting partners at the other end. He registered three boundaries and two sixes during his 27-ball 32 runs. Likewise, Amit Shrestha scored 23 runs off 28 deliveries which included four boundaries. Anil Kumar Sah scored 21 runs off 18 deliveries which included a four and six each. Apart from the three batsmen, none of the other batsmen were able to reach double-digit figures.
Earlier, Police Club won the toss and invited Army Club to bat first. Skipper Binod Bhandari, batting at number eight, top-scored for the Club in a dwindling first innings of the match. Bhandari faced 66 deliveries and scored 40 runs which included four boundaries. He recovered Army’s innings which was struggling at one stage with seven wickets for 116 runs. He shared a crucial partnership of 53 runs with Bikram Sob who chipped in with 15 runs. Sob faced 52 deliveries and registered a boundary in the match.
Similarly, Rajesh Pulami Magar also played a good hand with 31 runs off 49 deliveries which included four boundaries earlier in the innings. Opening batsman Raju Rijal scored four boundaries in his brisk 36-ball 22 runs. The most successful batsman of the MM Cup Kushal Malla was dismissed for 13 runs stumped out by Nath off Sagar Dhakal. Left-arm spinner Dhakal further registered two wickets to help Police Club derail Army innings. Lalit Narayan Rajbanshi and Dipendra Singa Airee also chipped in with three wickets each whereas off-spinner Pawan Sarraf chipped in with a wicket to end Army Club innings on 184 runs in 48.5 overs.
Bhari was adjudged player-of-the-series for picking up 15 wickets in the tournament in four matches. He was the top wicket-taker of the tournament followed by Sudur Paschim Province’s Binod Lama’s 14 wickets in second place and Police Club’s Dhakal’s 11 wickets in the third place.
Kushal Malla was adjudged the best batsman of the tournament scoring 196 runs in four matches including a century against Armed Police Force Club during the group stage. Likewise, Police Club’s Dipendra Singh Airee and Province 3’ Subash Khakurel finished in second and third places with 148 and 142 runs respectively.
