Kathmandu, December 28
Lumbini All Stars defeated Far West United in super over to record their fourth consecutive victory in the NepalT20 Cricket League here at the TU Stadium today.
The match was decided in super over after the All Stars reached 137-9 in reply to United's 237-6 in 20 overs.
The All Stars scored 19-1 in the super over after Karan KC struck two sixes and took two 3s before getting run out in the final ball. In reply, the United managed 10 runs despite Hashmatullah Shahidi hitting a six off Kishore Mahato in the first ball.
With their four straight victories, the All Stars remained at the top of the table with maximum eight points, while Kathmandu Knights and Janakpur Royals are tied on four points from three matches. Biratnagar Super Kings - who beat Pokhara Avengers by six wickets in the day's another match - and United have two points each. The Avengers crashed out from the race to playoffs after their fourth defeat. The United posted a fighting total riding on 42-ball 48 from opener Dev Khanal and a quick fire 32 off 29 balls from skipper Shahidi. Bhim Sharki (15), Karan KC (12 not out), Hasim Ansari (11) and Binod Bhandari (11) also scored in double figures.
Shadley van Schalkwyk took two wickets for the All Stars, while Harmeet Singh, Kishore Mahato and Sagar Dhakal grabbed one wicket each.
In reply, the All Stars were closing in on easy victory after Gulsan Jha and van Schalkwyk mustered 15 runs in the penultimate over and they needed just five runs in the last over. But van Schalkwyk was dismissed in the first ball, and the pair of Jha and Sagar Dhakal managed four runs to push the match into super over. Jha top scored with an unbeaten 36 off 24 balls with the help of three fours and a six, while Bipul Sharma hit a four and three sixes in his 27- ball 31. Opener Lahiru Milantha scored a quick fire 34 off 20 balls that included two fours and four sixes. Karan KC and Sher Malla grabbed two wickets each for the United.
In another match, the Avengers posted 139-7 in their allotted 20 overs before the Super Kings reached 140-4 with seven balls to spare. Kushal Malla was the top scorer with 18-ball 37 that included three each fours and sixes, while Siddhant Lohani struck three sixes in his 19-ball 26. Hussain Talat and Raj Nannan took two wickets each for the Super Kings.
In reply, the Super Kings rode on 30-ball 50 from player-of-the-match Hussain Talat, who struck four boundaries and a six. Arjun Saud scored 25 off 22 balls with the help of a four and two sixes, while skipper Andre McCarthy contributed 21. Prithu Baskota struck one each four and six in his eight-ball 15, while Bibek Yadav remained unbeaten on 14 off eight balls that included one each boundary and six. Kushal Malla and Sharad Vesawkar took two wickets each for the Avengers.
A version of this article appears in the print on December 29, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
