No ads found for this position

Kathmandu Gorkhas fold for 142 despite Simpson’s half-century (photos)

Simpson top-scored with a fluent 60 off 29 — Kathmandu’s first half-century of the tournament — striking 3 fours and 3 sixes.

No ads found for this position

Kathmandu Gorkhas fold for 142 despite Simpson’s half-century (photos)

KATHMANDU: Despite a resilient half-century from John Simpson, Kathmandu Gorkhas failed to post a strong total after a dramatic middle-order collapse, finishing on just 142 all out in 19.4 overs against Chitwan Rhinos in Friday’s first Nepal Premier League (NPL) match.

Losing the toss, Kathmandu stumbled early, slipping to 24/3 inside the first 5 overs of the powerplay.

Simpson then teamed up with Milind Kumar to rebuild the innings, adding an impressive 98 runs off 71 balls for the fourth wicket at TU International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur.

Simpson top-scored with a fluent 60 off 29 — Kathmandu’s first half-century of the tournament — striking 3 fours and 3 sixes.

Milind contributed a steady 38 off 43 with five boundaries. However, the partnership was broken in back-to-back deliveries: Milind was bowled by Ravi Bopara on the final ball of the 16th over, and Kamal Singh Airee removed Simpson on the first ball of the 17th.

What followed was a stunning collapse.

Kathmandu lost their last 7 wickets for just 20 runs in 23 balls, with Sohail Tanvir wreaking havoc in the death overs.

The veteran left-arm pacer claimed 4 wickets for 25 in his full quota. Ranjit Kumar (2/28) and Kamal Singh Airee (2/19) provided solid support.

Other Kathmandu batters failed to contribute: Aakash Tripathi was run out for 4, Rashid Khan scored 6 with one six, while Ben Charlesworth (13), Gerhard Erasmus, Santosh Yadav (0), captain Karan KC (1), and Dipesh Kandel (6) all fell cheaply. Sahab Alam remained unbeaten on 2.

Both teams entered the match with 4 points each, with Chitwan placed third and Kathmandu fourth on the table. The outcome of this fixture is crucial, as a win significantly boosts either team’s chances of reaching the playoffs.

Last season, Chitwan had defeated Kathmandu by 5 wickets in their opening clash and eventually qualified for the playoffs with 8 points, while Kathmandu exited in the league stage.