Electing to bat first, Biratnagar were bowled out for a lowly 179 runs in 42.4 overs but defended the score by restricting Bhairahawa for 83 in 20.3 overs thanks to the former national team spinner Pradhan’s heriocs. While Bhairahawa have been already qualified for the semi-finals from Group B, the third successive win meant Biratnagar are just a win away from joining them.

Skipper Pushpa Thapa top scored for Biratnagar with 43 runs while out-of-favour former national team allrounder Mehboob Alam made 32. Thapa stroked six fours and a six in his 63-ball knock while Alam uncharacteristically hit just three fours in his 48-ball stay in the crease. Dipendra Yadav took three, while Sushan Bhari, Lal Bahadur Adhikari and Faijlur Rahman Khan claimed two wickets apiece for Bhairahawa.

Alam returned to open the demolition job by dismissing two of the top three batsmen with Puran Shankar BK taking the other. Pradhan then took charge claiming six of the last seven Bhairahawa wickets. After Alam and BK reduced their opponents to 50-3, Pradhan took the centre stage as Bhairahawa could only manage 33 runs before being dismissed for 83 runs. Pradhan finished with an enviable figures of 6-10 from 4.3 overs, while Alam took 2-21. BK and Pushpa Thapa grabbed one wicket each.

In another Group B match at the Pulchowk Engineering College ground, Region-IX (Dhangadi) beat Region-VII (Janakpur) by six wickets. Janakpur were all out for 112 runs in 30 overs and Dhangadi overcame the total for the loss of four wickets in 23 overs.

Hari Shankar Sah (34) and Mukesh Jha (20) were among the top runs scorer for Janakpur as man-of-the-match Lalit Singh Bhandari tore through their batting lineup with a six-wicket haul. Bhandari took 6-25 from five overs. Kamal Raj joshi also grabbed 2-20.

Openers Sunil Dhamala (29) and Gyanendra Chhetri (19) laid the foundation for Dhangadi run chase as they put on 41 runs for the first wicket. Dhangadi lost some quick wickets but were never in danger of falling short of their target as Suni Bhatt (20) and Raju Rijal (11) saw their team comfortably home in the 23rd over.

In a Group A match held in Pokhara, Region-VIII (Pokhara) beat Nepal Armed Police Force (APF) Club by 67 runs. Pokhara could only muster 198 runs in 47 overs but defended the low total by restricting APF for 131 runs in 30.1 overs.

Pokhara’s total was build around contributions from Ishan Baniya (41), Dipesh Khatri (35), Nischal Pandey (28) and Shiv Subedi (28). Dipendra Chaudhary (5-30) completed a five-wicket haul for APF, while Bhuwan Karki and Bishal Adhikari also bagged two wickets each.

In reply, a half century from Subhash Pradhan (54) went in vain as rest of the APF batsmen simple could not cope with the discipline Pokhara bowling. Man-of-the-match Nischal Pandey took 5-25 while Dipesh Khatri (2-20) and Karan KC (2-52) scalped two wickets each for Pokhara.