Kathmandu, November 11

Member Secretary-XI defeated Veterans-XI by 87 runs in an exhibition match played at the Mulpani Cricket Ground today.

Invited to bat first, Member Secretary-XI posted 196-9 in their allotted 20 overs before packing Veterans-XI to 109 runs in 14.5 overs.

Member Secretary-XI openers Sunil Dhamala and Dipendra Chaudhary shared 50-run partnership. Dhamala, who top scored for the team with 34-ball 42, hit five boundaries and six, while Chaudhary cracked four boundaries and a six in his quick fire 14-ball 30.

Binod Bhandari scored a quick fire 18-ball 39 with the help of three each fours and sixes, while Basant Regmi remained unbeaten on 19 off 12 balls that included two fours and a six. Similarly, Kushal Bhurtel scored 12 runs with the help of a six.

Veteran-XI skipper Pawan Agrawal claimed 3-37, while Sandeep Shrestha and Paresh Lohani took two wickets each. Prafulla Vaidya and Mahesh Chhetri claimed one wicket each.

In reply, Veteran-XI made a disastrous start losing three wickets with just six runs on the board. However, Manjeet Shrestha, who cracked 23-ball 52 hitting six boundaries and five sixes, and Pawan Agrawal, who hit 31-ball 33 with the help of three fours, added 81 runs for the third wicket but that was not enough to avert the defeat as other batsmen faltered. Shakti Gauchan was the only other batsman to reach double figure, scoring run-a-ball 12 with the help of two boundaries.

Man-of-the-match Raju Basnyat was the pick of the Member Secretary-XI bowlers taking 5-36, while Dipendra Chaudhary took two wickets. Similarly, Aamir Akhtar, Jagat Tamatta and Sharad Vesawkar claimed one wicket apiece.

The match was played as the inauguration of the Mulpani Cricket Ground, which was recently completed. The construction work in Mulpani began in 2002 under the mega project of the International Cricket Council but the world governing body shifted the venue of Central Cricket Academy due to internal conflict in Nepal.