Kathmandu, January 11
Lumbini All Stars defeated Biratnagar Super Kings by 24 runs to win the title of the NepalT20 Cricket League here at the TU Stadium today.
In the low-scoring final match, the All Stars were bowled out for 133 runs in 19.2 overs before the Biratnagar Super Kings squandered a good start and were restricted to 109-8.
The All Stars made a flying start with openers Harmeet Singh and Lahiru Milantha putting up 64 runs inside six overs. But the Super Kings hit back and derailed the All Stars innings. The All Stars were all out for a below-par total after they lost the last seven wickets for 28 runs.
Milantha top scored with 41 off 28 balls that included three each fours and sixes, while Singh hit three boundaries and two sixes in his 18-ball 30.
Skipper Dipendra Singh Airee contributed 23-ball 20 hitting three fours, while Ishan Pandey (18) was the only fourth batsman to contribute in double figures.
Nandan Yadav (2-22) and Raj Nannan (2-24) shared four wickets between them for the Super Kings, while Hussain Talat, Koen Joseph, Surya Tamang and Rohit Paudel grabbed one wicket each.
In reply, the Super Kings had a disastrous start with the bat after the All Stars launched their attack with spinners from both ends. They lost opener Gauranshu Sharma (four), skipper Rohit Paudel (naught), Hussain Talat (13) and Raj Nannan (six) cheaply to be reeling at 42-4 inside nine overs.
At a time when opener Arjun Saud and Prithu Baskota were trying to revive the innings, Super Kings introduced Kishore Mahato in the 13th over and he justified his role by dismissing top scorer Saud in the fifth ball. Saud hit a four and two sixes in his 40-ball 34.
Harmeet Singh effectively ended Super Kings' chances when he dismissed Baskota, who hit two fours and a six in his 29-ball 31.
Player-of-the-match Singh (2-16) and Sagar Dhakal (2-19) grabbed two wickets each for the All Stars, while Bipul Sharma and Kishore Mahato claimed one apiece. Champions All Stars received Rs 5.5 million, while runners-up Super Kings earned three million rupees. Hussain Talat of Super Kings was named the player of the series and he received five million rupees. Talat scored 367 runs and took 10 wickets in 13 matches. Far West United's Hashmatullah Shahidi - who scored 400 runs including four half centuries - was declared the best batsman and he got Rs 250,000.
Abhinash Bohara of Kathmandu Knights was adjudged the best bowler. Bohara, who took 19 wickets in 11 matches, earned Rs 25,000. Surya Tamang of Super Kings was named the emerging player and he earned Rs 180,000. Left-arm spinner Tamang, who had a four-over spell of 1-8 in the final, took a total of 12 wickets in eight matches.
A version of this article appears in the print on January 12, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
