Biratnagar elected to field and bundled out Bhairahawa for a paltry 63 runs in 18.1 overs in a match reduced to 20 overs per side from 25 overs due to rain. Sangita Rai took four wickets while Shabnam Rai, Sapana Shrestha, Sanjhana Budhathoki and Yanji Sherpa claimed a wicket each. Two of Bhairahawa"s batswomen were run-out. Biratnagar produced a disciplined bowling performance to concede only 10 extras.[break]
Opener Barsha Rana (7 runs off 24 balls) and Pratiksha Basyal put up a 26-run opening stand for Bhairahawa. After Rana"s departure, Basyal tried to anchor the innings but wickets kept falling at the other end. Basyal scored 32 runs off 49 balls with three boundaries. Rest of the Bhairahawa batswomen failed to reach even the 5-run mark.
Region No 1 (Biratnagar), which includes 12 players of Milan Cricket Club of Kakarbhitta in Jhapa and two players of Saptari, reached the small target in 13.4 overs but losing eight wickets.
After Biratnagar lost opener Kajol Shrestha in the second over, another opener Roshana Rai (11 runs off 19 balls) and Sangita Rai added 25 runs for the second wicket. The dismissal of Sanjhana Budhathoki (4 runs) and Sangita Rai (15 runs off 31 balls) led to a middle order collapse.
However, Roma Thapa, who was playing with an injured right hand, remained unbeaten on seven runs off six balls and Sapana Shrestha supported her with two runs off two balls to seal the victory.
Indu Berma came to bowl the 14th over and claimed the wicket of Sujata Chhetri in the second ball. However, she bowled the fifth ball wide, which turned out to be the winning run for Biratnagar. Bhairahawa gave away 21 extras and it became the deciding factor of the match.
Biratnagar received the winner"s trophy and a check of Rs 25,000 while runner-up Bhairahawa got Rs 15,000.
´We were approaching the match cautiously as we had lost the group-stage match against Bhairahawa. All the credit goes to the girls, who have labored hard during the training,´ said Biratnagar coach Biru Shrestha. National women"s team captain Rubina Chhetri was the team manager of Biratnagar.
´Batting was our main strength but we failed in that very department. When Nitu Bhandari and Indu Berma got out, our hopes of putting up a good total were shattered,´ said Bhairahawa coach Basant Shahi. ´While defending the low total, we became hopeful when Kajol Shrestha got out but we gave away too many extras, which turned out to be a crucial factor in the match,´ he added.
Soniya Paudel claimed three wickets while Berma and Saiyya Gurung took two wickets each for Bhairahawa. Alisha KC also claimed a wicket.
Sangita Rai, who claimed four wickets and scored 15 runs for Biratnagar, was adjudged the player-of-the-final. She received Rs 5,000.
Biratnagar all-rounder Sanjhana Budhathoki, who scored 81 runs and claimed six wickets in five matches of the tournament, was declared the player of the series. Budhathoki received Rs 10,000. Her teammate Kajol Shrestha, who scored 102 runs in three group-stage matches, was adjudged the best batswoman of the tournament while Bhairahawa bowler Soniya Paudel, who claimed eight wickets in three group-stage matches, was declared the best bowler. Shrestha and Paudel bagged Rs 5000 each.
National Sports Council Member Secretary Yuvaraj Lama, Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) Vice-presidents Sriniwas Rana and Keshav Ghimire, and sponsor Chaudhary Group"s General Managers Sajan Devkota and Pradeep Pudasaini gave away the prizes to the winners.
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