Bhairahawa, playing its first match of the inaugural T-20 national cricket tournament, won the toss and elected to bat first. But the decision proved to be a shaky one, as both the openers Sagar Pun and Manoj Baishya were sent back to the pavilion, with just 2 runs on the board.
Skipper Shakti Gauchan and Basanta Regmi then consolidated the Bhairahawa innings. Gauchan contributed 15 runs, while Regmi, who topscored for his team, compiled 31 runs off 30 deliveries; in the 49-run, third-wicket partnership that he anchored, Regmi hit 2 fours and 2 sixes.
After Gauchan fell, Aakash Gupta scored a fiery 22 runs off just 15 deliveries, and that helped Bhairahawa to post a total of 99 runs, before the rest of the team was bundled out in19.4 overs. Kathmandu skipper Paras Khadka took 3 wickets in 4 overs giving away just 15 runs.
In reply, national team opener Paresh Lohani scored an unbeaten 49 runs to guide Kathmandu to a 4-wicket win. Chasing a target of 100 runs in 20 overs, Kathmandu were in trouble at one time, with 4 wickets down and just 39 runs on the board in the 9th over. But Paresh´s 5th-wicket partnership with Raju Basnyat of 29 runs and his 6th-wicket partnership of 24 runs with Manoj Sood proved vital, as Kathmandu achieved the target they set out to pass, with 11 balls to spare. Basnyat scored 10 runs, whereas Sood chipped in 16 runs. Paresh Lohani won the man-of-the-match award.
Earlier in the first match played at the Kirtipur Cricket Ground, region number one, Biratnagar, registered their first win of the tournament, by beating region number 2, Birgunj, by 39 runs.
Birgunj won the toss and invited Biratnagar to bat first. Skipper Binod Das removed Sunny Pun and Mehboob Alam quickly. Biratnagar were left reeling after losing 3 wickets with onlyu 10 runs on the board. But the 4th-wicket partnership of 91 runs between Pushpa Thapa and Ajay Rajbanshi rescued Biratnagar. Thapa scored 59 runs off 51 balls, which consisted 3 fours and 3 sixes. Rajbanshi scored 35 runs off 46 deliveries. Helped by these two contributions, Biratnagar managed to post 124 for 5 wickets in 20 overs. Binod Das had 3 scalps for Birgunj.
In reply, Birgunj managed to put up only 85 runs, handing Biratnagar a 39-run victory. Hasim Ansari was the only Birgunj batsman to reach double figures, with 15 runs. For Biratnagar, Raj Kumar Pradhan took 3 wickets, giving away just 12 runs in his stipulated 4 overs, whereas all-rounder Mehboob Alam took 2 scalps. Pushpa Thapa was adjudged the man of the match for his splendid 59 runs.
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