Two close, low-scoring matches at the TU International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur went to the side batting first. Chitwan Rhinos beat Biratnagar Kings by 8 runs, and Karnali Yaks beat Janakpur Bolts by 19 runs.
Chitwan Rhinos 157/3 beat Biratnagar Kings 149 all out (8 runs)
Biratnagar chose to bowl. Dawid Malan took the match from there for Chitwan, making 70 off 51 balls with five fours and five sixes. He and Dev Khanal (12 off 15) put on 58 for the first wicket, and Andre Russell bowled Malan in the 13th over. Captain Ravi Bopara (32 not out) and Dan Mousley (29 not out) then added an unbeaten 67 for the third wicket. Russell, Angelo Mathews and Charith Asalanka took the wickets.
Biratnagar needed 158 and started well. Imran Sheikh top-scored with 39, and he and Lokesh Bam (26 off 14) added 40 for the first wicket. Basir Ahmed (13) and Mathews (14) shared 43 off 24 balls. Russell kept the chase alive with 33 off 17 balls, including four sixes.
The match turned late. Biratnagar needed 21 from the last three overs with wickets in hand. Kamal Singh Airee then dismissed Rupesh Singh and Pratish GC in the 18th over, both for nothing. Rijan Dhakal took two more wickets in the 19th, and the innings ended on 149 in 19.3 overs. Captain Sandeep Lamichhane, Rupesh Singh and Pratish GC were all out for 0.
Airee finished with 4 for 26 in his four overs. Rijan Dhakal took 2, and Tom Taylor, Ranjit Kumar, Mousley and Mausam Dhakal took one each.
Karnali Yaks 132/9 beat Janakpur Bolts 113 all out (19 runs)
Janakpur captain Harmeet Singh won the toss and chose to bowl. Karnali’s batters struggled for runs. Ariful Islam top-scored with 43 off 29 balls, including four sixes, and Pawan Sarraf made 37 off 37 with three sixes. Deepak Dumre hit 13 off 5 balls, and Gulshan Jha and Nandan Yadav made 12 and 10. Mark Watt was out for 1, and captain Sompal Kami, Hussain Talat and Akbar Ali made 1, 3 and 1. Karnali hit one four and 11 sixes. For Janakpur, Harmeet took 3 for 22 and Moeen Ali 2 for 19 in four overs. Rahul Yadav, who came through a talent hunt, took 2 for 15 in four overs, and Lalit Rajbanshi took 1 for 38 in three.
Needing 133, Janakpur never got going. Harmeet (19 off 13), Moeen (19 off 22) and James Neesham (15 off 14) were the top scorers. They were 106 for 8 after 18 overs and were bowled out with three balls left.
Unish Bikram Singh (Thakuri) took 3 for 22 in four overs, including a maiden. Talat took 2 for 19, and Kami took 1 for 5 in two overs. Airee and Unish Singh were the standout performers of the day.
The table after Day 2
Lumbini Lions, Chitwan Rhinos and Karnali Yaks have one win and two points each. Sudurpaschim Royals, Biratnagar Kings and Janakpur Bolts have one loss each. Kathmandu Gurkhas and Pokhara Avengers have not played yet.
What is next
On Wednesday, October 28 at 5 p.m., Pokhara Avengers play Sudurpaschim Royals. Sudurpaschim are trying to recover after being bowled out for 87 in the opening match.
Where to watch
Himalaya TV carries Nepali commentary and Himalaya Sports carries English commentary. For the first time there is also Maithili commentary, on Himalaya Sports 2, and only on days when Janakpur play.
