Tribhuvan Army Club won the second edition of Manmohan Memorial national one-day cricket tournament in Inaruwa after crushing Nepal Police Club by 85 runs in the final on Saturday.

After being put in to bat, the Army team were bowled out for a modest 184 runs in 48.5 overs. Giving a chase, the Police did not have an ideal start to their innings as they lost Pawan Sarraf for a duck on the third ball of their innings with just a single run on the board.

The other opening batsman Sunil Dhamala (8), was the next to depart, leaving their side struggling at 27-2 in the sixth over. Police had added only eight runs when Amit Shrestha (23), went back to the pavilion in the 11th over. Dipendra Singh Airee was stumped by Raju Rijal off Kushal Malla off the last ball of the 13th over. At that stage, the Police were reeling at 43-4.

Anil Sah (21) was clean bowled by Shahab Alam, reducing the Police team to 65-5 in 16.2 overs. They then lost their next three wickets while managing to add only four runs. Kushal Bhurtel and Sagar Dhakal then featured in a 23-run partnership for the ninth wicket.

Bhurtel was the lone contributor in the stand as Dhakal could not score a single run in his nine-ball stay at the crease. Dhakal was trapped leg-before wicket by Sushan Bhari, while Burtel scored 31 runs from 27 balls, hitting two sixes and three fours. He became the last Police wicket to fall, caught by Malla off Alam. Their innings was wrapped up at 99 in 24.4 overs.

Bhari was the pick of the Army bowlers with four wickets from his six overs. Alam grabbed three wickets, Malla two and Bikram Sob one.

Earlier, the Army team themselves did not have an ideal start as they lost two wickets while managing to score only 30 runs in 11 overs. They kept losing wickets at regular intervals and found themselves relatively uncomfortable at 116-7 in 27.1 overs.

Bikram Sob (15) and skipper Binod Bhandari then rescued their innings to help their side head towards a respectable total. The pair added 53 runs for the eighth wicket before Sob was out leg-before wicket off the bowling of Airee, leaving the Army struggling at 169-8.

They then lost their top scorer, Bhandari, after adding just two more runs on the board in the 47th over. Bhandari missed his half-century by 10 runs, his innings of 40 including four fours. Alam (4) was the last Army wicket to fall in the 49th over.

The winning Army team received Rs405,000 while the runners up, Police walked away with Rs205,000. Army’s Left-arm spinner Bhari who had picked up 15 wickets from four matches was adjudged the player of the tournament. He received Rs55,000.

Sudurpaschim’s Binod Lama was declared the bowler of the tournament for his 14 wickets in three matches. Army’s Malla was adjudged the batsman of the tournament. Malla scored 196 runs from four matches, which included a century. The best bowler and the best batsman received Rs21,000 each.

A total of 12 teams, seven provincial teams, three departmental sides, a foreign team from Malaysia and the host club, had contested in the 50 overs a side annual tournament.