Seamer Bikram Thagunna took a hat-trick as Province 7 hammered Province 5 by 118 runs to take a pole position for semi-final in the Manmohan Memorial Cup One Day National cricket tournament on Tuesday.
Seamer Bikram Thagunna took a hat-trick as Province 7 hammered Province 5 by 118 runs to take a pole position for semi-final in the Manmohan Memorial Cup One Day National cricket tournament on Tuesday.
In the Group ‘C’ match, a century stand between Roshan Adhikari and Lokesh Bam steered Province 7 to 244-8 in 50 overs. Thagunna then ran riot in the Province 5 middle order before they were bundled out for just 126 runs in 28.3 overs.
The Province 7 win has left the pool wide open with all three teams in fray for the last four. Province 7 will take on Supaul of India on Wednesday and a victory will take them through. But if Supaul earn a handsome victory over Province 7, the semi-final entering team will be decided through net run rate.
Nepali U-16 international Narayan Dev Joshi provided the early breakthrough for Province 7 in their defence removing Sandeep Sunar (9) and Subhendu Pandey (11). Thagunna then joined the wicket-taking spree removing Rajbir Singh (9) followed by consecutive duck dismissals of Prakash KC and Saurabh Khanal reducing Province 5 to 41-5 in seven overs.
Province 5 never recovered from the setback and were folded for a low total. Krishna Karki top scored for them with a 58-ball 36 hitting five boundaries and a six. Thagunna returned the figures of 4-38 from 8.3 overs, while Sher Malla also took two wickets.
Openers Bipin Rawal (24) and Khadka Bohora (21) began with a modest 44-run stand for Province 7 but they were soon precariously placed at 74-4 in 20.3 overs. Adhikari and Bam resurrected their innings with a match-winning 128-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Bam made a gritty 68 off 62 with four boundaries and three sixes. Adhikari contributed 59 off 102 hitting five boundaries and a six.
Joshi (22) and Dipendra Thapa (21) also made handy contributions in Province 7 innings. Man Bahadur Thapa picked up 3-31 from 10 overs for Province 5 with Rupesh Kurmi and Bikram Bhushal also taking two each.
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