Dinesh Agri took a hat-trick while Praveen Rijal and Dinesh Budha Magar scored half centuries as Kantipur City College (KCC) and Kathmandu University (KU) won their respective opening day matches of the College Cricket League Twenty20 at the Tribhuvan University Stadium on Sunday.

In the opening match, KCC defeated Orchid International College by five wickets after Agri put an allround display. Electing to field first, Agri took four wickets including a hat-trick to dismiss Orchid for just 90 runs in 16.5 overs. KCC were reeling at 58-5 in 15 overs but Agri combined for an unbroken 33-run stand for the sixth wicket with Birendra Bom (13 not out) to lead his team to 91-5 in 18.1 overs. Agri struck two fours and a six in his 14-ball 23 not out. Opener Ramesh Bhatta chipped in 22 runs. Two wickets from Suman Humagain and one each from Chandrakant Poudel and Bigyan Raj Gautam had brought Orchid back in the game.

Earlier, Orchid failed to build a good partnership despite their top and middle order getting good starts. Sachin Adhikari top scored for them with a 28-ball 30 hitting three fours and a six. Any hopes of Orchid fighting their way back into the game ended after Agri polished off the tail. Agri bowled Milan Chhetri (9) and trapped Poudel and Humagain leg before in the last three balls of the 17th over. Man-of-the-match Agri returned with figures of 4-22 from 3.5 overs. Subash Budha Chhetri also took two wickets.

In the second match of the day, KU hammered Nepal Bon College by 117 runs following a dominating performance by their batsmen. A 41-run opening partnership between Rabin Joshi (14) and Rijal laid the foundation for KU who amassed 188-5 in 20 overs. Rupesh Srivastav and Sonu Devkota then took three wickets each as Nepal Bon were 71 all out in 12.5 overs.

Ahmad (18) was the only Nepal Bon batsman to make runs in double figures. KU innings was given the boost by a 94-run partnership for the second wicket between Rijal and Budha Magar. Rijal made a run-a-ball 51 with six boundaries and man-of-the-match Budha Magar scored a swift 50 off 37 with six fours and a maximum. Skipper Ishan Pandey also played a 14-ball cameo of 34, hitting three fours and two sixes. Jay Saud took three, while Yunten Lama had two scalps for the losing side.