The last time Nepal Police Club (NPC) lost a game in the Men’s PM Cup was back in the fifth edition in November 2022 when they went down to Tribhuvan Army Club (TAC) in the tournament’s semi-final.

NPC dominated the sixth edition last year winning all nine league games and the final. They also had a perfect start in the seventh edition this year, having won eight consecutive games.

Their remarkable streak broke apart on Thursday in their final league game. Coincidentally, it was again TAC who defeated them after over two years.

With the win, TAC equalled the points with NPC. NPC and TAC both have 16 points by the end of the league structure but NPC remains ahead on net run rate.

As the top two teams after 45 games between 10 teams across 19 days in three venues, NPC and TAC will play for the trophy at Siddhartha Cricket Stadium on March 29.

The Cup’s title has swung between the two teams. They were adjudged the joint-winners of the first edition in 2017. NPC have won the tournament twice (2019 and 2024) while TAC have won it once (2021). TAC were the runners-up four times (2018, 2019, 2022 and 2024).

Army win by 4 wickets

TAC restricted NPC to a low total and chased it successfully at Extratech Cricket Oval on Match Day 19.

Electing to field first, TAC’s bowlers got NPC all out for 148 runs in 41.4 overs on the back of Shahab Alam’s four-wicket haul and Naren Saud’s three wickets. NPC would have had a lower total if it was not for Dipendra Singh Airee’s 50 off 37.

Not underestimating NPC’s ability to defend the low total, TAC’s skipper Binod Bhandari, the leading run scorer in PM Cup history, came down the order, in at eight. He stayed not out at 13 off 35 and took the team to a major win with Bibek Yadav (41 off 45).

NPC’s Lalit Rajbanshi, the first to take 100 wickets in the tournament, bagged four wickets in his 10-over spell, but that was not quite sufficient for his team’s victory as TAC reached the target in 41 overs.

Alam was the player of the match as he not only took four crucial wickets but also bowled three maiden overs and remained economical conceding only 31 runs in his 10 overs.

In another match of the day, Madhesh defeated Bagmati by four wickets while chasing 260 runs. It was a fourth win for Madhesh while a fifth loss for Bagmati. Still, Bagmati cemented their place in the Top 4 alongside APF.