In a spectacular downfall, the defending champions, Janakpur Bolts, finished at the bottom in the second season of the Nepal Premier League. In Sunday’s fixture with the Karnali Yaks, which was also the 28th and the last league-stage match, the Bolts lost by three runs to end their campaign with six losses in seven matches.

Both Janakpur and Karnali were playing their last match of the season with five losses in their last six matches. They were the two bottom teams on the points table, aiming for a win in their seventh match only to not finish as the last team of the season.

The Bolts elected to bowl first and capitalised on their decision, restricting the Yaks to a low total of 129/9. Imran Sheikh, the 20-year-old who was debuting in the NPL, was the highest scorer for the Yaks with 33 off 32. Imran, who opened the batting for Karnali, was the fourth wicket to fall for the Yaks in 14.3 overs, with the team at 86 runs.

Five other Karnali batters—Priyank Panchal (16 off 18), Gulshan Kumar Jha (19 off 20), William Bosisto (15 off 12), Najibullah Zadran (13 off 13) and Sompal Kami (18 off 11)—scored in double figures, but the contributions were insufficient to put on a good total.

Out of the eight bowlers used by the Bolts, five of them took at least a wicket. Similarly, the Bolts bowled in a disciplined manner, giving away only four runs as extras (three wides and a leg bye).

Lalit Narayan Rajbanshi and Aaditya Mahata picked two wickets each, while Sangeeth Cooray, Anil Kumar Sah and Maaz Sadaqat bagged one each.

Cooray was the most economical for the Bolts as he gave only 12 runs in his four overs. Further, Cooray, the Sri Lankan player who is a left-handed batter and a right-arm bowler picked six wickets in just three matches and has the second-best economy rates in the NPL history.

In turn, the Bolts, with a good batting order, were expected to complete the chase with ease. But the top four of Janakpur departed for only 21 runs from the bat, with two players—Aasif Sheikh and Sah—getting out for a duck. Opener Sadaqat and in-at-four Mayan Yadav contributed 12 off 6 and 9 off 15, respectively.

Bosisto was the one who sent Sadaqat and Yadav back to the pavilion, while Watt and Pawan Sarraf bagged the wickets of Aasif and Sah, respectively.

From 29/4 at the end of the seventh over, Cooray and Sanjay Krishnamurthi kept the Bolts in the chase. The two built a 75-run partnership for the fifth wicket before Cooray (25 off 32) departed as the fifth wicket at the end of the 17th over.

Krishnamurthi, with a half-century, took the team as near as possible to the target. But he too departed, contributing 51 off 39, at the first ball of the last over when the team required 14 runs for the win. Skipper Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton tried his best too, but Janakpur struggled against consistent yorkers from Kami and Yadav. And by the end of the second innings, the Bolts could only manage 126/7 on the board.

‘The Bolts Army’

A big banner of ‘Bolts Army’ was in the stands with the fans in pink backing up their team from the very first game of the Bolts. And despite continuing the losing streak, the Bolts Army kept on coming in numbers to support their team.

There was only one match when the Bolts did not have their Army. After four consecutive losses, Janakpur did not see the banner in the stands on their fifth match, which was against Chitwan Rhinos on December 2. It was the only match where the Bolts won, defeating the Rhinos by six wickets to end their losing streak.

After that, the Bolts again lost their next fixture, which was against Lumbini Lions on December 5. The four-wicket loss to Lumbini had ended the playoffs’ hopes of not only the Bolts, but also that of Chitwan and Pokhara.

Thus, the match against Karnali was of less significance for the Bolts. Still, the Bolts Army were present to support their team. And, despite the end of the match, the Army waited for the team. When the players stood in front of the Army, clapping their hands as a gesture of thanks, the Army returned the applause stating that they were behind them through thick and thin.

As the league stage concluded with the Bolts vs Yaks fixture, there is a rest day on Monday. On Tuesday, the TU International Cricket Stadium will host Qualifier 1 between the top two teams of the table—Sudurpaschim Royals and Biratnagar Kings—with the winner qualifying for the final.