By a Staff Reporter
Veteran Basanta Regmi and Pace bowler Avinash Bohora put in match-winning performances as APF got off to a winning start in the 4th Primeminister Cup National Cricket Tournament at TU Ground on Saturday.
The departmental team beat Province 1 by huge margin of 135 runs to get maximum points. Having put into bat first, APF were all out for 243 run in 48.4 overs. Opener Asif Sheikh scored a quickfire 59 to put APF in front foot but the middle order failed to continue the proceedings. Sheikh, who completed half-century in 29 balls scored 6 boundaries and 5 sixes in 32 ball inning.
After Sheikh’s departure, the run flow stopped and wickets kept tumbling. Subash Khakurel (19), Skipper Sharad Vesawkar (7), Pradeep Airee (7), and Sumit Maharjan (14) all fell to spinners as Dipesh Kandel and Hemant Rai brought the provincial team in the front foot. APF went from 71-0 in 8.4 overs to 126-5 in the 25th over.
Sundeep Jora and Basant Regmi then put on 66 run partnership to restore APF’s stronghold. Regmi scored 4 fours and 2 sixes in 52 ball innings as he nicked to wicketkeeper Rajan Magar on 40. Jora followed Regmi in the next over after scoring 30 runs of 39 balls with 4 boundaries.
Bhuwan KArki (7) and Kamal Airee (5) soon followed while Kishore Mahato’s 19 runs with 2 boundaries kept APF in strong position. For Province 1, Sarwan Yadav and Firdosh Ansari took 2 wickets each along with Kandel and Rai. Josak Khadka and Sonu Mandal grabbed one each.
Province 1 started off slowly with the chase but could only muster 108 runs before being bowled out in 42.4 overs. Openers Deepak Paswan (13) and Minash Thapa (18) could not build on the good start. Paswan was caught leg before wicket by debutant Kishore Mahato while Minash nicked one onto first slip soon after Firdosh Ansari had went out after pulling his hamstring.
The wicket kept tumbling at regular intervals as batsmen kept returning back in single digit scores. Rajan Magar (3), Skipper Siddhant Lohani (9), Shuvanka Urao (4), Sarwan Yadav (1) and Sonu Mandal (0) did not impress. Dipesh Kandel scored 16 off 23 while Josak remianed unbeaten on 12 runs. Both scored a four and a six each.
For APF, Abhinash cleaned up middle order with a spell of 5 wickets for 18 runs with 6 maidens. Basant conceded 13 runs in 10 overs to grab 2 wickets. Kishore and Sharad grabbed a wicket each.
Nepal Police Club will play Bagmati Province at the TU on Sunday. Army will face Karnali at Mulpani Ground.
