Friends Club Dadeldhura triumphs over Bostern Academy Jhapa by 77 runs
Chasing a target of 144 runs, Jhapa was restricted to just 66 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in 15 overs.
KATHMANDU: In the ongoing Arjun Trophy National Cricket Tournament in Dhangadhi, Friends Club Dadeldhura emerged victorious in the first match today.
In the opening game, Dadeldhura defeated DCA Dhangadhi by 8 wickets, and in their second consecutive win today, they defeated Bostern Cricket Academy Jhapa by 77 runs.
Chasing a target of 144 runs, Jhapa was restricted to just 66 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in 15 overs.
For Jhapa, Sonam Budhathoki scored 17 runs and Deepu Bhujel contributed 15 runs, but the others failed to reach double figures.
On the bowling front, Dadeldhura’s Kushal Bhurtel claimed 4 wickets, while Ajay Chauhan took 2, and Captain Sandip Jora, Ajay Chauhan, and Ravi Bisht each took 1 wicket.
Earlier, after losing the toss and being asked to bat first at Fapla Cricket Ground, Dadeldhura scored 143 runs in 15 overs, losing 3 wickets due to poor weather conditions.
Dadeldhura’s Ayushman Bam and Captain Sandip Jora both scored half-centuries. The pair formed a crucial 83-run partnership, stabilizing the innings after the team was at 23 runs for 2 wickets.
Jora was dismissed for 51 runs after facing 30 balls, hitting 4 fours and 4 sixes, while Ayushman remained unbeaten on 57 runs from 36 balls, hitting 7 fours and 1 six.
Unbeaten Kiran Thagunna added 21 runs from 10 balls with 2 sixes and 1 four. Openers Kushal Bhurtel was dismissed for 2 runs, and Vinod Bhandari went out for 5 runs.
In bowling, Jhapa’s Arun Airi took 2 wickets, and Pawan Karki claimed 1 wicket. Ayushman Bam of Dadeldhura was named Player of the Match.
With this win, Dadeldhura remains at the top of the table with 4 points from 2 matches, edging closer to a semifinal berth.
The tournament, organized by Go Dreamers, offers a cash prize of 1 million for the winner and 500,000 for the runner-up.
The Best Player of the Tournament will receive 100,000, while the Best Batsman, Best Bowler, and Emerging Player will each receive 50,000. Players of the Match in each game will be awarded 10,000 in cash.
The tournament, organized in memory of Coach Arjun Khadka, who made significant contributions to the development of cricket in Dhangadhi, will run until Feb 10.
