Lumbini Lions crush Biratnagar Kings, enter NPL final (photos)
With this loss, Biratnagar finished third in the tournament.
KATHMANDU: Lumbini Lions secured a spot in the final of the Nepal Premier League (NPL) Season 2 after defeating Biratnagar Kings by 40 runs in Thursday’s second qualifier, ending Biratnagar’s campaign in third place.
Chasing 135 at the Tribhuvan International Cricket Ground, Biratnagar struggled from the start, losing early wickets and eventually being bowled out for 94 in 17.5 overs.
Lumbini dominated the match with both bat and ball, sealing a comfortable victory and booking a clash with Sudurpashchim Royals, who directly qualified for the final by winning the first qualifier.
Biratnagar’s top-order faltered as openers Martin Guptill and Lokesh Bam were dismissed in the first over.
Faf du Plessis added just 2 runs before falling to Sher Malla, leaving the team under immense pressure.
Sam Heazlett tried to stabilize the innings, scoring 34 off 28 balls, while Marchant de Lange contributed 17 off 20. Naren Bhatta added 21 runs lower down, but the rest of the batting lineup failed to make a significant impact.
Lumbini’s Tilak Bhandari was the standout bowler with 3 wickets, while Ruben Trumpelman picked up 2 key scalps, including Martin Guptill and Lokesh Bam.
Sher Malla, JJ Smith, and Abhishek Gautam also made vital breakthroughs, helping Lumbini dominate the match.
With this win, Lumbini Lions advance to face Sudurpashchim Royals in a highly anticipated final, keeping their hopes alive for the NPL Season 2 title.
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