Janakpur's 139 sets stage for Royals in high-stakes NPL clash

KATHMANDU: Janakpur Bolts faced Sudurpaschim Royals in the first qualifier of the Nepal Premier League (NPL) cricket tournament on Wednesday at the Tribhuvan University Cricket Ground in Kirtipur. After winning the toss, Janakpur elected to bat first and posted a target of 140 runs for Sudurpaschim in their allotted 20 overs, finishing at 139 runs for the loss of 9 wickets.  

James Neesham, who scored a crucial 45 runs, was Janakpur's best player. Harsh Thaker and Lahiru Milantha each scored 12 runs, while Shubh Kansakar added 26. With 11 runs each, Arniko Yadav and captain Asif Sheikh contributed. Kishore Mahato (2), Sher Malla (3), Mohammad Mohsin (3), and Aakash Tripathi (4) all contributed very few runs to the total, while other batters found it difficult to contribute.  

Saif Zaib claimed two dismissals and captain Dipendra Singh Airee claimed three wickets as Sudurpaschim's bowlers put up a solid showing. With one wicket apiece, Scott Kuggeleijn and Abinash Bohara also left their impact. Airee was very successful, running out Kansakar for 26 and dismissing important players Lahiru Milantha (12) and Asif Sheikh (11).  

In the absence of their injured regular captain Anil Sah, Janakpur, headed by Asif Sheikh, batted mediocrely. After the first ten overs, they were 61 for 3, but Neesham's consistent hitting enabled them to get to a respectable score. The losing team will play Karnali Yaks in the second qualifier on Thursday, while the victor of this qualifying will advance directly to the final.  

Karnali's victory over Chitwan Rhinos in the Eliminator secured their spot in the second qualifier. The teams are competing for a position in the championship tournament's final, therefore the stakes are high.