Kathmandu, November 10
Sudurpaschim Royals defeated Janakpur Bolts by 27 runs in the Nepal Premier League (NPL) after successfully defending a modest target of 121 runs.
Batting first, Sudurpaschim were restricted to 120 for nine in their allotted 20 overs, with Brandon McMullen top-scoring with 33 off 23 deliveries.
Tharindu Ratnayake remained unbeaten on 27 off 28 balls, while Scott Kuggeleijn added six and Aarif Sheikh contributed 11. However, Sudurpaschim struggled to build partnerships and lost wickets at regular intervals.
For Janakpur, Harmeet Singh was the standout bowler, claiming four wickets for 17 runs in four overs. Harry Tector, Rahul Yadav, Aaditya Mahata and Abhisekh Tiwari took one wicket each.
In reply, Janakpur Bolts were bowled out for 93 in 19.5 overs, falling 27 runs short of the target.
Trit Raj Das top-scored with 21 off 29 balls, while James Neesham contributed 20 off 25 deliveries. Rahul Yadav added 11 off six balls, but Janakpur failed to build the partnerships needed to chase down the target.
Kuggeleijn led Sudurpaschim’s bowling attack with three wickets for just 13 runs in four overs. Hemant Dhami, Ratnayake, Dipendra Singh Airee, Anil Kharel and Ishan Pandey claimed one wicket each.
Despite posting a below-par total, Sudurpaschim’s disciplined bowling ensured they secured a 27-run victory, restricting Janakpur to 93 and strengthening their position in the NPL.
