Left-arm orthodox Lalit Rajbanshi grabbed five wickets as Nepal Police Club edged past Province 1 by seven-wickets to clinch their second consecutive victory in the Prime Minister Cup National One-Day Cricket Tournament at the Mulpani ground in Kathmandu on Monday.

Rajbanshi ripped apart the top-half batters of Province 1, who chose to bat first, as Police bowled out Province 1 for a meagre total of 102 runs in 35.1 overs. Chasing the target, the departmental team made light work of Province 1, racing to victory score of 105-3 off only 14 overs.

Police, who had thumped Bagmati by 192 runs in their opening match on Sunday, have four points from two matches in Group B.

Province 1 openers, Niraj Mukhiya scored a 37-ball 29 while Ankit Subedi scored 24 off 35 balls before the former was bowled by Rajbanshi with the team score at 56. Mukhiya’s departure triggered a dramatic collapse of Province 1 innings as they lost their remaining nine wickets for 46 runs.

Rajbanshi also dismissed the next four batters in a row, including Sujan Thapaliya (0), opener Subedi, Minash Thapa (4) and captain Siddhant Lohani (0). Bibek Anand Mehta was the other batter besides the openers to touch the double-digit score. Mehta scored 17 off 46 balls.

The player-of-the-match, Rajbanshi, conceded 26 runs in his 10-over spell that comprised three maiden overs. Sagar Dhakal and captain Dipendra Singh Airee grabbed two wickets apiece.

In the run chase, Police lost their opener Sunil Dhamala for a golden duck.He was caught by Minas Thapa off Firdosh Ansari. But, Kushal Bhurtel played a cameo, a 28-ball 42 and shared a 69-run stand for the second wicket with Shankar Rana, who contributed a 24-ball 29.

Rana, the second wicket to fall, was run out, while Siddhanta Lohani scalped Bhurtel, having him caught by Sujan Thapaliya. Police captain Dipendra Singh Airee remained not out on 14 and Rashid Khan scored an unbeaten 16.

Lohani and Firdosh Ansari of Province 1 pocketed one wicket each.

Gandaki off to winning start

Gandaki Province registered a 69-run victory over Sudurpaschim Province to make a winning start in their Group A.

Electing to bat first, Gandaki posted 208-8 on the back of a half century by Arjun Kumal and bowled out Sudurpaschim for 139 runs in only 32.4 overs.

Kumal cracked 63 off 105 balls that featured 10 boundary hits. He also put on a 68-run stand for the opening wicket with Sameer Kandel. Kumal was caught by Sher Malla off Kailash Ayer.

Kandel contributed 71-ball 26, while Bidhan Shrestha and Avishek Basnet made 25 each. Sandeep Chhetri (19), captain Bipin Khatri (13) and Kamal Pariyar played an unbeaten 13 for Gandaki.

Sudurpaschim bowlers Kailash Ayer, Narayan Joshi and Sher Malla picked two wickets each, while Naren Saud bagged one.

In Sudurpaschim’s run chase, Milan Bohara scored 51, the highest of the innings, facing 64 deliveries. He hit three boundaries and a six before Chhetri caught him off Subash Bhandari.

Opener Gajendra Bohara contributed a 68-ball 35 and Basant Karki, who hit 19-ball 10, were the other batters to score in double digits for Sudurpaschim.

Bipin Karki was the pick of Gandaki bowlers, claiming four wickets in his 10-over spell conceding 43 runs. Subash Bhandari and Avishek Basnet grabbed two wickets each.

Province 1 next play Bagmati Province at the TU ground while APF Club take on Sudurpaschim at the Mulpani ground on Tuesday.