TAC, Himalayan enter semis

Kathmandu, January 17

Tribhuvan Army Club (TAC) and Himalayan Cricket Academy (HCA) advanced to the semi-finals of the Pran Litchi Drinks first National Inter-club Youth Cricket Championship here at the TU Stadium on Sunday.

The Army team defeated Kathmandu Cricket Training Centre by 59 runs, while Himalayan beat Machhapuchhre Cricket Club of Pokhara by 29 runs. Batting first, TAC scored 163-6 in 20 overs and restricted KCTC for 104-7 in 20 overs. Man-of-the-match Sharad Vesawakar remained unbeaten on 38 off just 18 balls that included two fours and three sixes, while Rajesh Pulami (29), Anil Mandal (24) and Rahul BK (21) were other significant contributors for TAC. Roshan Sharma and Robin Chhetri claimed two wickets each, while Nandan Yadav took a wicket for KCTC.

In reply, TAC bowlers not only checked the runs but also claimed wickets at regular intervals. Sudhir Maharjan top scored for KCTC with 22 runs, while Dilip Yadav scored 20 and other batsmen failed to score in double digits. Avinas Karn claimed two wickets, while Sagar Pun, Chandra Saud, Rahul Bk and Lokendra Chand grabbed a wicket apiece for TAC.

In another match, Himalayan scored 151-3 in 20 overs and restricted Machhapuchhre for 122-6 in 20 overs. Himalayan opener Bhupendra Thapa top scored with 64 off just 49 balls, while Amar Singh Rautela remained unbeaten on 30 off 20 balls. Ritesh Baral, Bel Bahadur Thapa and Dipesh Khatri took a wicket each for Machhapuchhre.

In reply, Dipesh Khatri’s unbeaten 59 off 54 balls could not avert the Pokhara team’s defeat. Raju Poudel (15) and Aakash Thapa (13) were the other Machhapuchhre batsmen to score in double figures. Abinash Bohara took two wickets for Himalayan, while Yagyaman Kumal, Lalit Bhandari and Amar Singh Rautela took a wicket each.