Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Lumbini Province, Nepal APF Club and Karnali Province recorded victories on the opening day of the PM Cup Men’s National Cricket Tournament on Sunday.
The tournament played in one-day format features seven provincial teams and three departmental sides. The teams will play each other once in the round robin stage. The top to sides will play in the final, while the top four teams will qualify for the Jay Trophy multi-day red-ball cricket tournament.
Lumbini Province vs Koshi Province
Lumbini Province defeated Koshi Province by 26 runs at the Siddhartha Cricket Stadium in Bhairahwa.
Batting first, Lumbini scored 208 runs, losing all wickets in 48 overs, and then bowled out Koshi for 182 runs in 42.4 overs.
Aakash Tripathi top-scored for Lumbini with 66 runs off 90 balls. Nar Sarki scored a quick-fire 45 from 32 balls, while opener Mrinal Gurung contributed 43 from 61 balls. Manish Thapa scored 16 off 41 balls. Other Lumbini batters failed to reach double digits.
Dipesh Kandel and Prakash Karki took three wickets each for Koshi, while Firodh Ansari claimed two, and Bipin Mahato and Ankit Subedi took one wicket each.
Chasing 209 runs, Koshi was all out for 182 runs. All top-order batsmen of Koshi got starts but failed to convert them into big scores. Openers Chirag Sah and Ankit Subedi scored 31 and 18, respectively. Shakib Haq contributed 27, Sujan Thapaliya scored 25, and Suvan Gahatraj added 29. However, the middle and lower-order batters failed to build on the solid platform, with three batters out for ducks and the others failing to reach double digits.
Ajay Chauhan claimed five wickets, conceding just 32 runs in his 8.4 overs. Ramesh Kumri secured three wickets, while Dev Khanal and Krishna Karki took one wicket each.
Nepal APF Club vs Bagmati Province
Nepal APF Club defeated Bagmati Province by 100 runs in the second match of the PM Cup.
Batting first, Nepal APF Club scored 174 runs, losing all wickets in 44 overs. In reply, Bagmati was bowled out for 74 runs.
Sundeep Jora scored 37 for Nepal APF Club, while Amar Routela contributed an unbeaten 26, and Dipak Bohora and Kamal Airee scored 25 and 15 runs, respectively.
Rijan Dhakal claimed five wickets to bundle out Nepal APF Club for a low score. Nandan Yadav and Surya Tamang contributed three and two wickets, respectively.
Bagmati Province made a mess of the chase, as all its batters, except Shubh Kansakar who scored 16 off 24 balls, failed to reach double digits.
Kamal Airee took four wickets for Nepal APF Club, while Rohit Paudel and Amar Routela chipped in with two wickets each, and Abinash Bohara claimed one wicket.
Karnali Province vs Sudurpashchim Province
Karnali Province defeated Sudurpashchim Province by 79 runs in Match No. 3 of the PM Cup.
Batting first, Karnali was bowled out for 155 runs in 40.4 overs. However, Sudurpashchim was folded for 76 runs in just 21 overs.
Arjun Gharti scored 71 off 94 balls, despite a poor start by Karnali’s top order. Arjun Gharti and Diwan Pun contributed 17 and 12, respectively. However, other Karnali batters failed to reach double digits.
Hemant Dhami claimed four wickets for Sudurpashchim, while Narayan Joshi contributed two, and Sher Malla, Milan Bohara, and Boj Raj Bhatta took one wicket each.
Chasing 156 runs, Sudurpashchim added 30 runs for the first wicket but lost wickets at regular intervals after that. Khadak Bohara scored 27, while Kiran Thagunna and Sher Malla contributed 13 each.
Dipendra Rawat claimed seven wickets to bundle out Sudurpashchim cheaply. Diwan Pun chipped in with two wickets.
Monday’s Matches
Bagmati vs Tribhuvan Army Club
Lumbini vs Nepal Police Club
Gandaki vs Sudurpashchim
