KATHMANDU, Dec 21: Sudurpaschim Royals posted a competitive score of 184/9, in their innings of the final of Nepal Premier League (NPL), thanks to an over century run partnership between the openers duo Saif Ali Zaib and Binod Bhandari.
Sudurpaschim 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 in the final match.
NPL Grand Finale: Royals see formidable rivals in Bolts
However, a target of 185 runs will also be quite challenging for Janakpur Bolts.
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 Deependra 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.
