Dhangadhi Blues defeats Blasters to keep qualification hopes alive

Published On: November 2, 2018 07:29 AM NPT


With Shah’s half-century, Rhinos still on playoffs hunt

POKHARA, Nov 2: Expert Dhangadhi Blues defeats the table-topper Butwal Blasters by 20 runs to keep its qualification hopes alive in the Pokhara Premier League at Rangshaala Cricket Ground in Pokhara on Thursday.

Essex all-rounder Daniel Lawrence was adjudged the player of the match for his first half-century of the league as Blues won its second match out of the four it has played so far.

Both Blues and Blasters have four points each after four matches in the tournament. Blasters is on top of the table with a positive net run rate of 0.88 followed by Pokhara Paltan and Chitwan Rhinos on second and third positions respectively.

The right handed batsman from England scored 52 runs facing 39-delivery and smashed three boundaries and two sixes in a match-winning knock. Lawrence was supported by Blues skipper Dipendra Singh Airee, who scored 56 runs from 39 deliveries smashing four boundaries and two sixes.

Chasing the target of 162 runs, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) batsman Chirag Suri played a good innings of unbeaten 79 runs but couldn’t bring his team Blasters across the line. Suri smashed 12 boundaries and a six during his 54-stay. 

Blasters was restricted to 141 runs in 20 overs for the loss of six wickets. The UAE captain, the other foreign batsman of Blasters, Rohan Mustafa, was brilliantly ran out by Lawrence. Mustafa scored 20 runs and smashed two boundaries and a six facing 19 deliveries. None of the other Blasters batsmen were able to reach the double digit figures except Sompal Kami and Siddhant Lohani who scored 12 runs each.

Nepal U-19 left-arm spinner Sagar Dhakal was the pick of the Blues bowlers scalping two back-to-back wickets of in-form Bhim Sarki and Shankar Rana in the middle overs. Similarly, Lawrence and Kamal Singh Airee chipped with a wicket each. 

Earlier, Blues won the toss and elected to bat first. Blasters was sloppy in the field as Bipin Khatri and Sidhhant Lohani missed straight forward catching chances of English batsman Peter Trego and Dipendra. Khatri was the pick of the bowlers with two wickets. He was supported by Avinash Bohora and Mustafa’s one wicket each. Lawrence and Dipendra shared the highest partnership of the tournament scoring 109 runs during the first innings of the match. Blues scored 161 runs from 20 overs for the loss of 4 wickets.

Blasters will face Hulas Kathmandu Royals in a do or die match on Friday whereas Blues will do the same against Pokhara Paltan on the same day.

Paras Khadka led Rhinos was defeated in the first two matches of the Pokhara Premier League against Blasters and Paltan, but has come romping back in the tournament with two commanding wins against Blues and Royals to keep its hopes alive of the Eliminator in Pokhara on Thursday.

The left-handed batsman from Janakpur Hari Shankar Shah smashed his second half-century of the league opening the innings for Rhinos propelling the total to 149 runs in 20 overs for the loss of five wickets. Shah smashed five fours and three sixes during his 49-ball stay and scored 60 runs off it. He laid the platform for the par score with Anil Kumar Sah sharing the partnership of 54 runs from seven overs for the first wicket.

Similarly, Karan KC picked three wickets to give Rhinos a commanding win in the fourth match of the tournament. He was supported by Khadka’s two wickets along with Sunny Patel, Smeet Patel and Bhuvan Karki chipping in with a wicket each.

Rhinos will face Biratnagar Titans on Saturday in a bid to qualify for the playoffs whereas Royals will take on Blasters on Friday to progress further in the league.
 


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