In a must-win game at the Kanchanpur grounds, Gurkhas defeated Panchakanya Tez by five wickets to finish fourth in the points table. Gurkhas, X-Factors and Warriors were tied on four points each but the former made it through on better net run-rate. The final outcome of the league meant teams led by national skipper Paras Khadka (Warriors) and vice-captain Gyanendra Malla (X-Factors) failed to pass the first hurdle.

Despite their second back-to-back defeat, Sharad Vesawkar-captained Tez remained at the top of the table with six points from five games and set a rematch with fourth-placed Gurkhas in the semi-finals. Sagarmatha Legends and Jagdamba Giants finished second and third, the teams separated with only net run-rate after tying on six points each. The two teams will meet in the other semi-finals.

In a 40-over-a-side game at the Kanchanpur grounds, two part-time bowlers set up victory for the Gurkhas who bundled out Tez for just 137 runs in 38.2 overs. Aakash Gupta picked up 4-21 from five overs and Pradeep Airee managed 2-20 from seven overs as Tez struggled throughout their innings. Airee then smashed 45 off 40 as Gurkhas raced to 131-5 in 28.2 overs.

Airee hit seven boundaries and two sixes in his entertaining knock. Skipper Regmi contributed an all-important 38 off 41 with five fours and two sixes, while Antim Thapa (24) and Subash Khakurel (10) also chipped in valuable runs to the total. Karan KC, Rajkumar Pradhan and Vesawkar took one wicket each for Tez.

Earlier, opener Indra Kamal Manandhar was the only Tez batsman to put up some fight with 37 off 88, his innings featuring two hits to the fence and one six. Vesawkar (15), Binod Das (12) and Aarif Sheikh (12) were other notable contributors. Lalit Singh Bhandari, Aakash Bista and Gopal Singh also claimed one wicket each.

X-Factors miss out on last four berth

Mohan Budhayer

Colors X-Factors edged Jagdamba Giants by one wicket but still missed out on a semi-final spot of the Ncell Nepal Premier League on Wednesday.

Needing a victory to stay alive, X-Factors accomplished their first mission but after Kantipur Gurkhas won their final league match in Kanchanpur, the Gyanendra Malla-led team slipped to fifth on net run-rate to narrowly miss the last four spot.

Batting first, Kumar Thapa and Sanjam Regmi took three wickets each to pack up Shakti Gauchan's Jagdamba Giants for just 136 runs in 43.2 overs. Opener Faizlur Rehman Khan replied with a half century as X-Factors finished at 139-9 in 26.1 overs. After losing opener Subash Pradhan (1) early, Faizlur launched his attack on Giants bowlers. Faizlur smashed 56 in 27 balls with five fours and as many sixes.

When Faizlur was out in eighth over after a 45-run stand with Prakash Bista (18), X-Factors were 67-2. They lost newman Raj Mohammad for a duck but Rajesh Pulami (20) and Malla (19) took them close to victory. Though X-Factors lost a few more wickets in the final stages, the target was too low for Giants to defend. Som Pal Kami finished with 4-37 for Giants, while Shakti Gauchan and Suvankar Sanyashi also grabbed two wickets apiece.

Earlier, opener Amit Shrestha and Hasim Ansari were the only Giants batsmen to defy X-Factors attack for a while. Shrestha made 35 off 56 balls with three fours and two sixes. Ansari top scored with 56-ball 36 hitting three fours and a six. Khan and Raj Mohammad also took two wickets each for X-Factors.