Bhupendra Thapa struck a magnificent century and Indra Kamal Manandhar hit an explosive 85 to steer Tribhuvan Army Club (TAC) to a 133-run win over Oasis Cricket Academy in the Khukuri Challenger Cup Twenty20 cricket tournament on Wednesday.

The victory at the Mulpani Cricket Ground kept Army in hunt for a quarter-final place from Group ‘C’ with first win in two games. Great Himalaya Cricket Academy (GHCA), who earlier in the day beat Nepal Cricket School (NCS) by 29 runs, topped the standings with maximum 12 points from four games.  Oasis are eliminated with three points after playing all four games but Army, NCS and IOE Pulchowk are all in contention to join GHCA in the last eight. All three teams have three points but Army have two games in hand against the two others.

Electing to bat first the Army team compiled a mammoth 236-2 in their allotted 20 overs with Thapa and Manandhar doing the maximum damage. Opening the batting with Manandhar, man-of-the-match Thapa remained unbeaten on 103 after hitting six sixes and as many fours in his 66-ball knock. Manandhar was even more aggressive, clobbering 12 boundaries and four sixes in his 40-ball 85. Raju Rijal also chipped in with 20 while Rahul Kumar BK made 15 not out. Roshan Pulami Magar and Sanam Budhathoki took one wicket each for Oasis.

In reply, Oasis were restricted to 103 in 18.2 overs as opener Abinash Singh top scored for his side with 21. His opening partner Susan Karki was their next best contributor with 17 as Avinash Bohara and Lokendra Chand combined to take seven wickets. Bohara returned with figures of 4-8 and Chand took 3-10.

Earlier, GHCA scored 179-4 with half centuries from opener Arun Airee and No 5 batsman Ishan Pandey. Airee struck 52-ball 51 with four boundaries and a six, while Pandey was at this explosive best scoring an unbeaten 67 runs. His 31-ball blitz included four sixes and as many fours. Pratish GC took two wickets for NCS.

The NCS openers Jitendra Singh Thakuri and Ravi Shah made bright start to their run chase but their dismissal triggered a collapse resulting into them being restricted to 150-8. Shah top scored with 35-ball 37 and skipper Thakuri made 21-ball 30 with seven hits to the fence. Dipesh Das (17 not out), Rahul Pokharel (16) and Rit Gautam (14) also chipped in runs but could not prevent their team from losing the game. Rupesh Shrivastav took three and man-of-the-match Pandey claimed 2-23 for GHCA.