Sports
Lamichhane plays crucial role to hand Patriots second win
Nepal’s Sandeep Lamichhane played a crucial role in handing St Kitts and Nevis Patriots their second victory in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) Twenty20 in Gros Islet, St Lucia on Tuesday.Nepal’s Sandeep Lamichhane played a crucial role in handing St Kitts and Nevis Patriots their second victory in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) Twenty20 in Gros Islet, St Lucia on Tuesday.
The teen leg spin prodigy Lamichhane, who is having the best outing in the Caribbean having taken wicket in every match he has played in the tournament so far, returned the figures of 2-13 from two overs in the match where Patriots hammered St Lucia Stars by seven wickets.
Electing to field first in their second consecutive away game, Patriots bundled out Stars for just 69 in 12.3 overs after left arm seamer Sheldon Cottrell picked up 3-14. Bangladeshi allrounder Mahmadullah also took 2-20 with his off break for the winning side. Patriots cantered to victory in just 7.4 overs after Devon Thomas struck a 21-ball 38 not out with five fours and a six.
Lamichhane’s globe-trotting continued to get better as his dismissal included the prized scalp of Australian opener David Warner who was Stars’ second best scorer with 14 runs. Coming in to bowl the ninth over, Lamichhane tossed in a googly at Warner who tried to loft it over extra-cover only to hole out a catch to Ben Cutting.
Lamichhane would have begun his day perfectly with a wicket maiden had Afghan batsman Qais Ahmed not hit him for a six in the last ball of his first over. Patriots skipper Chris Gayle introduced Lamichhane again in the 12th over and the leg spinner had his revenge after he foxed Ahmed to have him stumped by wicketkeeper Devon Thomas.
Ahmed top scored for Stars with an 18-ball 24 that included two sixes and as many boundaries. Next ball, Lamichhane affected the run out of Mitchell McClenaghan and was close to get his third wicket. However, Top Cooper couldn’t hold on to Obed McCoy’s catch he took at the edge of the boundary letting it go for another six.
It was Patriots second victory in the tournament and the team now climb to the fourth spot with four points from fours. Stars, who only have one victory out of six matches, are at the pit bottom. Guayana Amazon Warriors are at the top of the table with six points from four games followed by Trinbago Knight Riders and Jamaican Tallawahs on net run rate.
Lamichhane, who had taken 2-21 from four overs in Patriots 47-run loss against Tallawahs in the last game, has so far taken seven wickets in the tournament. He will now feature in Patriots’ fifth round match against Barbado Tridents on August 26 before leaving for Malaysia to join the national team for the ACC Asia Cup Qualifier.
The Qualifier is scheduled for August 29 to September 6. The national team is currently fine tuning their preparations for the Qualifier in Sri Lanka.