KATHMANDU, Dec 21: Janakpur Bolts have won the inaugural season of the Nepal Premier League (NPL) by beating Sudurpaschim Royals by five wickets in the final match held at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground on Saturday.
Opener Lahiru Milantha scored a quickfire 87 runs off 49 runs, hitting nine fours and four sixes for the Bolts while the other opener captain Asif Sheikh scored 33 runs off 19 balls hitting four fours and two sixes as the Bolts chased down Royals’ respectable target of 185 runs. Harsh Thaker scored 30 runs off 24 deliveries with two sixes.
NPL Final: Opening pair help Sudurpaschim post 184/9
For the Bolts, the opening duo of Milantha and Sheikh shared a stable partnership of 73 runs off 42 balls before Sheikh was caught by Brandon McMullen off a delivery by Saif Zaib. The second wicket partnership of Milantha and Mohammad Mohsin added another 32 runs to the total as Mohsin was dismissed by Ishan Pandey in the final ball of the tenth over. The third wicket partnership between Milantha and Harsh Thaker added an impressive 61 runs off 33 balls.
In the first innings, Royals posted a competitive score of 184/9, thanks to an over century run partnership between the openers duo Saif Ali Zaib and Binod Bhandari. Royals, who initially displayed an aggressive and strong performance, seemed likely to surpass 200 runs. However, in the final overs, the bowlers of Janakpur Bolts made a comeback, stopping Sudurpaschim from setting a difficult target. In the 'Slug Over', as the batsmen were dismissed one after another, Royals were restricted to 184 runs for the loss of 9 wickets.
Zaib and Bhandari jointly scored 117 off 74 balls. Zaib scored 69 runs off 43 balls, hitting eight fours and two sixes, before he fell to bowler Kishore Mahato who had him caught by Lalit Rajbanshi. Bhandari who hit 41 off 31 balls, hitting three sixes and a four, fell victim of Lalit Rajbanshi, whose total wicket haul in the tournament reached to 17, which made him the highest wicket taker so far.
After the fall of the opening pair, other Royals batters could do much with Janakpur bowlers claiming wickets at regular intervals. For Royals, batsmen Brandon McMullen and Harmeet Singh each made 14 runs while captain Dipendra Singh fell cheaply for 9. Scott Kuggeleijn made 13, Arif Sheik was out for 1. Ishan Pandey and Naresh Budhayer each scored 6 runs to give his team a competitive score to defend.
The bowlers of Bolts, who had initially faltered, made a strong comeback in the 'Slug Over', with highest wicket takers Kishore Mahato and Mohammad Mohsin claiming 3 wickets each conceding 26 and 40 runs respectively. Similarly, James Neesham and Lalit Rajbanshi took 1 wicket each.
