Cricket
Finalists APF top group
The departmental team thump Lumbini by 10 wickets in their last group stage match to maintain perfect record.Sports Bureau
Nepal APF Sports Club, already assured of the final spot, registered a thumping 10-wicket victory over Lumbini Province to finish the league round of Lalitpur Mayor Women's Twenty20 Championship maintaining their cent percent winning record at the TU ground in Kirtipur.
APF and Sudurpaschim Province have already secured the final berth as the top two teams in the five-team event and the outcome confirmed the departmental side cement their position on top winning all four group matches.
In the other dead rubber match, national captain Rubina Chhetri-led Province 1 registered a 22-run win over hosts Lalitpur Mayor's XI to wrap up in the third position as the hosts finished pointless.
The outcomes meant, APF top the table with a maximum eight points from four matches, two points ahead of the second-placed Sudurpaschim at the completion of the group round. Province 1 finished third with four points winning two and losing two games each. Lumbini bowed out fourth with two points winning only one match while Mayor's XI finished at rock bottom losing all four matches.
In the late fixture, batting first Lumbini managed a paltry total of 44-6 before the APF raced to victory without losing a single wicket in 6.4 overs.
APF openers Jyoti Pandey and captain Sita Rana Magar played an unbeaten stand of 45 runs. Pandey scored run-a-ball 22 that included four fences. Rana Magar contributed 18-ball 17.
Opener Laxmi Chaudhary and veteran Nary Thapa were the only Lumbini players to touch double digits. Thapa hit 15 runs facing 42 deliveries and Chaudhary 11 off 17.
APF bowler Rekha Rawal claimed three wickets in her four-over spell. The player-of-the-match conceded six runs. Suman Bista clinched one wicket.
In the early kickoff, put to bat first, Province 1 posted a challenging total of 119-6 after openers Kajal Shrestha and Rubina Chhetri shared a 97-run partnership for the first wicket.
The player-of-the-match Shrestha top scored 44 off 43 and Chhetri hit 45-ball 39. Apsari Begam was the other major contributor for Province 1 scoring 15 runs.
Lalitpur bowler Khusi Dangol claimed two wickets while Anuradha Chaudhary picked one.
Chasing the target, Suman Khatiwada's 44 off 39 went in vain for Mayor's XI as they were bowled out for 97 runs with a ball to spare. Anjali Bishwakarma was the other major contributor with 31-ball 21. Asmina Karmacharya scored 14 runs.
Province 1 bowler Alisha Khadiya grabbed three wickets while Sabnam Rai grabbed two wickets.