Janakpur Bolts advaced to NPL final, Karnali eliminated
Chasing a modest target of 119 runs set by Karnali, Janakpur reached the goal in 19 overs, losing 8 wickets.
KATHMANDU: Janakpur Bolts have advanced to the final of the Siddhartha Bank Nepal Premier League (NPL) by defeating Karnali Yaks by 2 wickets in the second qualifier held on Thursday.
Chasing a modest target of 119 runs set by Karnali, Janakpur reached the goal in 19 overs, losing 8 wickets.
James Neesham played a crucial role in the victory, scoring 45 runs off 17 balls, which included 2 fours and 5 sixes. Neesham fell just 5 runs short of a half-century, getting bowled by Bipin Sharma.
Harsh Thaker contributed 17 runs off 26 balls before being run out, while Aakash Tripathi added 13 runs off 20 balls. Opener Subha Kasankar managed only 3 runs before being dismissed by Bipin Sharma.
Mayank Yadav, who survived a dropped catch by wicketkeeper Chadwick Walton, was run out for 7 runs while attempting a second run.
Other contributions included Aasif Sheikh (4), Lahiru Milantha (2), and Mohammad Mohsin (1). Sher Malla remained unbeaten with 16 runs off 10 balls.
For Karnali, young bowler Bipin Sharma took 3 wickets for just 17 runs in his 4-over spell. Captain Sompal Kami, William Bosisto, and Zeeshan Maqsood claimed 1 wicket each.
Earlier, after losing the toss and being invited to bat first, Karnali Yaks posted a modest total of 118 for 9 in their 20 overs at the TU Cricket Ground.
Gulshan Jha top-scored for Karnali with 25 runs off 20 balls, hitting 1 four and 2 sixes. Opener Dev Khanal contributed 24 runs off 20 balls with 3 fours and 1 six before being caught by Aakash Tripathi off James Neesham’s bowling. William Bosisto added 14 runs off 15 balls, while Zeeshan Maqsood scored 12 runs off 11 balls.
The rest of the batting lineup struggled, with captain Sompal Kami managing just 5 runs. Jaykishan Kolsawala, who scored a half-century in the previous match, was dismissed for 1 run, and Arjun Gharti was out for 2 runs. Younis Bikramsingh Thakuri added 12 runs, while Nandan Yadav remained unbeaten on 4.
James Neesham, Mohammad Mohsin, and Lalit Narayan Rajbanshi took 2 wickets each for Janakpur. Harsh Thaker and Sher Malla picked up 1 wicket each.
Janakpur Bolts will now face Sudurpaschim Royals in the final on Saturday.
With this loss, Karnali Yaks have been eliminated from the tournament, despite having beaten Janakpur in the league stage.
