Sports
Pokhara Rhinos enter final
The Bhandari-led side defeat Bhairahawa to set up title battle against Chitwan Tigers.Sports Bureau
Binod Bhandari-led Pokhara Rhinos registered a comfortable seven-wicket win over Bhairahawa Gladiators in the second qualifier of the Everest Premier League Twenty20 cricket tournament to set up a title clash against Chitwan Tigers at the TU cricket grounds in Kirtipur on Thursday.
Put into bat first, Sharad Vesawkar-led Bhairahawa managed to score a paltry total of 119-6 before Pokhara scored 123-3 with 10 balls to spare.
The final will be the rematch of the first qualifiers between Chitwan and Pokhara which saw the latter succumb to a humiliating nine-wicket defeat. The final will take place on Saturday.
Bhairahawa failed in the batting department and lost wickets in regular intervals. Captain Vesawkar, who came to bat at number seven, scored the unbeaten 33-ball 32, the highest in the innings, after they lost top order batters cheaply. Openers Rohit Paudel and Pradeep Airee were dismissed for 17-ball 18 and run-a-ball 11 runs respectively.
Sri Lankar batter Upul Tharanga scored 10 runs while Aarif Sheikh was the other remarkable scorer for Bhairahawa scoring 27 runs off 24. He hit one fence and a six. Vesawkar hit two fours and a six in his 33-ball knock.
Pokhara bowlers Kishore Mahato and Sahan Arachchige grabbed two wickets each. Mahato gave away 21 runs in his four-over spell with a maiden over. Arachchige gave away 15 runs in his four overs.
In the run chase, Arachchige and Bipin Rawal shared an unbeaten 88-run partnership lifting the team from 3-35 to victory. Arachchige, the man-of-the-match, smashed 53 runs off 44 that included seven fences. Rawal hit 34-ball 40 that included three fours and a six.
Opener Richard Levi contributed 14 runs off 11. He hit two fences and a six.
Bhairahawa bowler Bhuvan Karki grabbed two wickets. He gave away 16 runs in his three-over bowling with a maiden over.