KATHMANDU, DECEMBER 19
Janakpur Bolts defeated Karnali Yaks by two wickets in the second qualifier to secure their place in the Nepal Premier League final, held at the TU Cricket Ground in Kirtipur on Thursday.
With this defeat, Karnali Yaks secured third place in the NPL, earning a cash prize of Rs. 2.5 million, while Chitwan Rhinos finished fourth, receiving Rs. 1.5 million.
Despite their loss to Sudur Paschim Royals in the first qualifier, Janakpur Bolts will face the league leaders once again in the final, competing for the coveted trophy and a cash prize of Rs. 11 million on Saturday at the TU Cricket Ground.
Janakpur Bolts won the toss and opted to field first, restricting their opponents to a modest total of 118/9 in the allotted 20 overs. In response, the Bolts chased down the target with two wickets in hand and six balls to spare, securing their spot in the final.
New Zealander James Neesham once again proved to be the game-changer, delivering a brisk 45 off 17 balls studded with two boundaries, five towering sixes and taking two wickets to steer his team to victory. Neesham was later named Player of the Match for his outstanding all-round performance.
Karnali Yaks' bowler Bipin Sharma brought his team back into contention by clean-bowling James Neesham, leaving the Bolts needing 24 runs off 27 balls with four wickets in hand.
Mayan Yadav and Sher Malla displayed composure, steering their team closer to the target. However, Yadav was run out in the 19th over after contributing 14 runs, leaving the Bolts four runs shy of victory with eight balls and two wickets remaining.
Malla sealed the win by taking two runs off Nandan Yadav in the penultimate over, securing the Bolts' place in the final.
Bipin Sharma was the standout bowler for Karnali Yaks, claiming three wickets, while Sompal Kami, William Bosisto, and Zeeshan Maqsood chipped in with a wicket each.
In limiting Karnali Yaks to 118/9, Janakpur Bolts' bowlers Lalit Rajbanshi, James Neesham, and Mohammad Mohsin accounted for six wickets collectively, while Harsh Thaker and Sher Malla added a wicket each to their tally.
Despite contributions of 24 and 25 runs from Dev Khanal and Gulshan Jha, respectively, no batter managed to convert their starts into a significant score, leaving Karnali short of a competitive total in this crucial encounter.
