The Lamahi-based Deukhuri International Cricket Stadium was full of excitement on Day 6 of the Men’s PM Cup as a good number of fans, with their faces and clothes smeared in colours of Holi, came to witness the first departmental derby of the seventh edition.

Filled with national players, Nepal Police Club (NPC) and Armed Police Force (APF) Club were expected to provide a blockbuster showdown of cricket. However, the 50-over game between NPC and APF, the two teams that have won the tournament five times in the past six editions, fell short on runs on Friday.

APF, led by Nepal’s national skipper Rohit Kumar Paudel, elected to bat first. But Paudel, with power hitters and consistent scorers like Lokesh Bam, Aasif Sheikh and Sundeep Jora in the batting order, were bundled out for 94 runs in 27.4 overs; mostly thanks to the left-arm spinner Lalit Narayan Rajbanshi.

Rajbanshi took APF’s first wicket of Aasif in the last ball of the fifth over, and the last wicket, of Abhishek Gautam in 27.4 overs. In between, he dismissed Jora, Sumit Maharjan, Bhuvan Karki and Kamal Airee.

Overall, Rajbanshi, in his 7.4 overs, bowled three maidens, took six wickets conceding just 18 runs. His performance with the ball earned him the player of the match award.

Similarly, Sagar Dhakal, Karan KC, Gulshan Jha and Kushal Bhurtel bagged one wicket each in APF’s fallout. Jora was the highest-scorer for APF, with 26 off 29, while seven APF batters, including Paudel, were below double figures.

Happy with the first inning, NPC were positive of chasing 95 runs in 300 deliveries with ease. Yet, Paudel’s side did not allow the opponents to be that easy. NPC chased the target in 26.2 overs, but at the loss of eight wickets.

Bhuvan Karki bagged three wickets, Paudel and Gautam picked two each, and Airee took one for APF. Nevertheless, with good batters till their depth, NPC got rescued by in-at-seven and ten, Jha (12 off 20) and KC (1 off 2), respectively. Bhurtel’s 31 off 57 was crucial for NPC in the chase.

Playing their third game each in the tournament, it was the first loss for APF while NPC is now the only other unbeaten side alongside Army (three wins in three games).

On the other hand, while the NPC vs APF game ended, it was an innings break at Extratech Oval, Bhairahawa, as Bagmati had posted 266/8 in 50 overs against Sudurpaschim.

Opener Ashutosh Ghiraiya, second highest run scorer in the last edition, and in-at-three Shubh Kansakar took Bagmati to 143 runs in 28.3 overs from 11/1 at the end of the fifth over. Kansakar and Ghiraiya departed as the second and third wickets after adding 77 off 68 and 58 off 101, respectively.

Meanwhile, Sudurpaschim’s opener Tek Rawat could not complete his half-century as he got caught out at 45 off 88. The far-western province’s skipper Narayan Joshi tried turning the tide but could not as he added 39 off 25–with 3 fours, 2 sixers.

Rijan Dhakal and Sonu Devkota bagged four wickets each as Sudurpaschim were all out for 211 runs in 47 overs and Bagmati won by 55 runs.

It was the first win for Bagmati after consecutive losses while Sudurpaschim tasted their second defeat in three games.