BHAKTAPUR: Region-II (Birgunj) maintained their 100 per cent winning record by defeating Region-III (Kathmandu) by 35 runs in the last league match of the Boost Under-16 National Cricket League here at the Birendra Sainik Awasiya Mahavidhyalaya grounds today.

Birgunj and Region-IV (Bhairahawa) have already qualified for the Wednesday's final. Even before today's match, Birgunj was assured of finishing top of the table, just ahead of runners up Bhairahawa on better nett run-rate. Today's result meant Birgunj finish with 10 points and Bhairahawa on eight.

Batting first, Birgunj scored 187-7 in 40 overs and dismissed Kathmandu for 152 runs in 38.3 overs. Birgunj were reeling at 5-2 after third over but opener Rahul Pratap Singh and middle order batsmen consolidated the innings. Rahul Pratap scored 68 off 93 balls with eight boundaries and got valuable support from Chandan Jha (20). Both the batsmen were out with the team's total at 86 after putting on 81-run stand for the third wicket.

Their dismissal made hardly any difference to the team as Madhav Subedi (22), Gopal Singh (29) and Avinash Karn (19) also contributed to the total. Bijaya Rokaya, Roshan Khatri, Sujan Basnet and Ram Krishna Jaishwal took one wicket each for Kathmandu.

In reply, Milan Thapa top scored for Kathmandu with 91-ball 46 as their run chase ended in the 39th over. Sujan Basnet was the next best contributor with 26 runs while Bijaya and Sharad Khadka made 16 and 15 runs respectively. Man-of-the-match Gopal Singh finished with 5-27 from eight overs for Birgunj. Mohammed Athar also bagged two while Avinash Karn, Rajeev Shah and Rakesh Shah grabbed one wicket apiece.

In another insignificant match at the Pulchowk Engineering College grounds, Region-V (Nepalgunj) inflicted Region-VI (Baitadi) a humiliating 147-run defeat. Electing to bat first, Nepalgunj scored a massive 204-9 in 40 overs before restricting Baitadi for 57 runs in 15.4 overs.

Skipper Inamuddin Halwai struck a classy 63 after openers Ainuddin Ansari (39) and Prajwal Shahi (12) laid the foundation for a big total. Inamuddin struck nine fours in his 66-ball knock and Ainuddin hit six fours and a six in his 40-ball innings. Saroj Basnet also scored a fluent 41 off 43 deliveries with one six and a four. Yudda Bikram Chand was the pick of the Baitadi bowlers with 4-28 while Arjun Chapagain (2-33) and Sameer Nagarkoti (2-42) claimed two wickets each.

Baitadi were never in contention after being reduced to 29-6 by the 10th over thanks largely to new-ball bowlers Karamat Khan and Saud Ahmed Ansari. Yuddha Bikram top scored with run-a-ball 13 for Baitadi. Man-of-the-match Karamat Khan claimed 5-12 from six overs while Saud Ansari took 3-21. Bibek Sharma also claimed two wickets in the only over he bowled without conceding a run.

Nepalgunj finished third with six points, two more than fourth-placed Kathmandu. Baitadi ended up fifth with two points while Biratnagar returned failed to record a single win.