KATHMANDU, June 5: Centuries from Pradeep Singh Airee and Subash Khakurel helped departmental team Armed Police Force (APF) Club seal a semifinal spot with a 96-run victory by D/L method over Province 2 in the ongoing Inter-provincial Prime Minister Cup on Monday.
In a group A match played at the TU Cricket Ground in Kirtipur, Airee scored 158 runs off 135 balls that included eight sixes and 13 fours, while Khakurel hit 103 runs off 130 balls including two sixes and seven fours after winning the toss and electing to bat first.
Prithu Baskota added 29 runs off 14 balls comprising of a six and four fours in the APF total, while Bhuvan Karki contributed 16 runs off six deliveries with three boundaries. Likewise, Karan KC hit 6, Anil Kumar Sah and Amar Singh Routela added three runs each, while Pawan Sarraf managed to make a run in the only ball he played.
APF presented a total of 339 runs for the loss of six wickets in the allotted 50 overs. In reply, Province 2 made 105 runs for the loss of nine wickets after the game was affected by rain and the target was reduced to 202 runs.
Divyanshu Mallick was the pick of the Province 2 bowlers as he claimed five wickets giving away 84 runs in the nine overs he bowled which included a maiden. Also, Rahul Pratap Singh took a wicket giving away 20 runs in two overs.
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In reply, only two Province 2 batsmen managed to reach double digits.
Openers Hari Shankar Shah and Suraj Patel showed some early signs of chasing the huge total. But after they were out, all the other batsmen failed to even touch the double digit mark.
Shah scored 38 runs off 52 deliveries, which included three boundaries, while he was supported by Patel, who hit 34 runs off 53 balls with a six and five fours.
Sanjam Regmi added nine, and Rahul Pratap and Rashid Khan hit eight runs each.
Karan KC and Basant Regmi were the standout bowlers for the departmental team as they picked up three wickets each. Likewise, Kamal Singh Airee, Bhuvan Karki and Rohit Kumar Paudel took a wicket each.
Pradeep Airee was named the man-of-the-match.
Similarly, in the Group B match played at the Mulpani Cricket Ground, Province 5 went to the top of the table with a 30-run win by D/L method over Province 3.
Province 3, who won the toss and elected to bat first, presented a target of 152 runs after losing all its wickets in 44.5 overs. In reply, Province 5 made 89 for the loss of three wickets in the match that, affected by rain, had the target reduced.
Bhupendra Thapa hit the highest 46 runs off 66 deliveries which included two sixes and three boundaries for Province 3, while he was supported by Rupesh Shrivastava, who scored 21 runs off 36 balls including two fours. Captain Jitendra Thakuri added 18, Aadil Khan hit 16 and Sanjay Basnet scored 15 for the losing team.
Lal Adhikari was the pick of the Province 5 bowlers as he pocketed four wickets giving away 33 runs in the 10 overs he bowled including a maiden. Similarly, Krishna Karki, Sandeep Sunar and Bikram Bhushal nicked two wickets each.
In reply, four players batted for Province 5, with four of them reaching the double figures.
Sunar hit the highest 38 runs off 35 balls with a six and seven boundaries before he went back to the pavilion being retired hurt, while Shankar Rana, captain Shakti Gauchan and Antim Thapa scored 19, 15 and 10 runs respectively. Shubhendu Pandey made only a run before being run out.
Kishore Mahato and Abhishek Jha claimed a wicket each for Province 3.
Adhikari was named the man-of-the-match.
APF will take on the other departmental team Tribhuvan Army Club in a Group A match in Kirtipur which can decide the fate of the group, while the other departmental team Nepal Police Club will face Province 3 in group B.
