Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Sudurpashchim Royals showcased an impressive display with the bat and ball to consign Biratnagar Kings to a 90-run defeat in the fourth match of the Nepal Premier League (NPL) at the TU International Cricket Ground on Tuesday.
This was the second defeat in as many games for the Biratnagar-based franchise. Biratnagar Kings suffered an eight-wicket defeat against Janakpur Bolts in the opening match of the NPL on Saturday.
Batting first, Sudurpashchim plundered 182 runs—the highest team total in NPL so far—in 20 overs and then bowled out Biratnagar Kings for just 92 runs in 16.1 overs.
Although Royals lost their opener Amit Shrestha for just one run in the second over, Binod Bhandari and Brendon McMullen scored 23 and 36, respectively, to create a foundation for their captain Dipendra Singh Airee to play some big shots. Airee scored a magnificent 57 off 24 balls, hitting three fours and five sixes. Saif Zaib, Ishan Pandey, and Scott Kuggeleijn contributed 9, 13, and 10 runs, respectively.
Anil Kharel took three wickets, while Chris Sole, Ismat Alam, and Basir Ahmad claimed a wicket each.
Biratnagar Kings lost Martin Guptill for a duck in the very first over of the innings. Fellow foreign recruit Nicholas Kirton fell in the third over, putting pressure on the Kings’ batters. Rajesh Pulami and Basir Ahmad tried to resurrect the Kings’ innings, but the team lost wickets at regular intervals after Pulami ran himself out. Except for Anil Kharel, who remained not out on 10, no other Kings batter managed to reach double digits.
Abinash Bohara and Scott Kuggeleijn took three wickets each, while Brandon McMullen, Saif Zaib, and Ishan Pandey contributed with a wicket apiece.
Pokhara Avengers take on Chitwan Tigers in the second match of the day on Tuesday afternoon.
