Rajbiraj, June 21

Rupani Riders advanced to the final of the second Mayor Cup Saptari Premier League here on Friday.

Riders defeated Bode-Barsaein Thunders by 112 runs to accumulate seven points and earn a place in the final. In another match, Dakneshwari Dragon beat Bajaj Khadka Warriors by five wickets.

Dragon, who have four points, will face Thunders, who are third with three points, in the last match of the league on Saturday and the winners will join Riders in the final.

Batting first, Riders posted a mammoth 273-1 in their allotted 20 overs riding on centuries from Santosh Karki and Sonu Ansari before packing Thunders for 161 runs with nine balls to spare.

Karki struck five fours and 11 sixes in his fiery 45-ball 100, while Ansari remained unbeaten on 114 off just 56 balls that included five boundaries and 13 sixes.

Skipper Mehboob Alam then played a 20-ball cameo scoring an unbeaten 50 with the help of one four and seven sixes.

Thunders skipper Maneet Shrestha was the lone successful bowler taking 1-64 from four overs, while Open Rai and Bidhan Goshwami conceded 55 and 51 runs respectively in their four-over spells and Amit Yadav was hit for 45 runs in his two overs.

In reply, Thunders skipper Shrestha fought a lonely battle and top scored with 39-ball 66 that included four fours and six sixes, while Amit Yadav contributed 31 and Bidhan Goshwami scored 22. Gomananda Amatya was the pick of the Riders bowlers taking three wickets, while Anoj Yadav and Pradeep Paswan grabbed two each.

In another match, Warriors posted 122-8 in 20 overs and Dragon reached the target losing five wickets with seven balls to spare.