KATHMANDU: NMB Bank defeated SBI Bank by three wickets to clinch the Soaltee Crowne Plaza Super Sixes Cricket Tournament here at the Tribhuvan University Grounds today.

Put into the bat first, SBI scored 60-2 in their allotted five overs but NMB replied with 62-3 in 4.2 overs. Min Bahadur Gurung top scored for SBI with 11-ball 22 while skipper Monish Kumar Shrestha contributed an unbeaten 16 off eight balls with one six and as many a four. Dipesh Parajuli also chipped in with run-a-ball 11. In reply, Mohan KC played a match-winning knock of 20 runs for NMB Bank while skipper Ujjwal Pradhan also contributed a valuable 18 off nine balls.

Earlier, SBI Bank saw off NIC Bank by 21 runs and NMB beat Nabil Bank by seven runs in the semi-finals. Batting first, SBI scored 71-1 and restricted NIC Bank for 50-5 in five overs. SBI skipper Monish struck an unbeaten 33 off 12 balls and Min Bahadur Gurung scored a fiery nine-ball 21. Skipper Sujan Rai top scored for NIC with 15 runs in reply with only Dharmesh Sethia (10) being the other batsman to score in double figure. Min Bahadur, Sandip Upadhyaya, Monish and Amit Koirala claimed one wicker each for SBI Bank.

In the other semi-final of the day, NMB Bank made 62-4 and contained Nabil Bank for 55-2. Ujjwal Pradhan scored 19 and Mohan KC made 12 for NMB. Abhisek Pokharel and Bibhor Jha took one wicket apiece for Nabil Bank. In reply, skipper Laxman Charan Joshi scored a 15-ball 22 and Amit Pokharel nine-ball 13 but Nabil Bank could only made 55-2 in their allotted five overs. Samir Chhetri and Jyoti Raj Khandel claimed one wicket each for NMB.

SBI Bank skipper Monish Kumar Shrestha won the man of the series award for his allround performance in the tournament. Monish scored a total of 125 runs and claimed five wickets from six matches. Sangram Bikram Shah of Nepal Investment Bank and Avinash Chhetri of Standard Chartered Bank were adjudged the best bowler and best batsman respectively. Shah claimed five wickets conceding 38 runs in four matches while Chhetri scored a total of 134 runs from four matches.