English batsman Ravi Bopara scored a half-century as Chitwan Rhinos set a target of 131 runs to Karnali Yaks in Nepal Premier League (NPL) cricket on Friday. After losing the toss and batting at the Trivi Cricket Ground, Kirtipur, the Rhinos lost 7 wickets and scored 130 runs in the scheduled 20 overs.
Bopara scored an unbeaten 59 off 40 balls. Karnali captain Sompal Kami hit two consecutive fours in the 18th over and he scored his half-century. He hit a total of 7 fours and 1 six. Another veteran Sharad Bheshavkar, who hit a boundary in the last ball of the innings, remained unbeaten by scoring 6 runs in 3 balls.
Sompal bowled Luke Benkenstein for zero on the first ball of the innings. Deepak Bohra was dismissed for 8, Bipin Rawal for 11 runs. Bopara and captain Kushal Malla added 60 runs in 49 balls for the fourth wicket. Malla scored 23 runs off 27 balls with 2 fours and 1 six.
Left-arm spinner Bipin Sharma took 3 wickets by spending only 21 runs in 4 overs. He dismissed Yan Nicholas Lofty Eaton (9) and Sohail Tanveer (0) in the 17th over. In the 19th over, he bowled Amarsingh Rautela for 9 runs. Jisan Maqsood took 2 wickets for 22 runs in 4 overs. Sompal Kami and Nandan Yadav took 1 wicket each.
Chitwan has won the first two matches while Karnali has lost the first two matches. In the previous matches, Chitwan defeated Kathmandu Gurkhaz by 5 wickets and Pokhara Rhinos by 87 runs. Yaks lost the first two matches against Janakpur Bolts by 8 wickets and against Gurkhaz by 3 wickets.
Karnali has played Younis Vikram Singh Thakuri in place of Bhuvan Karki and William Bosisto in place of Babar Hayat. Chitwan has replaced Hasan Eissakhil with Yan Nicolas Lofty Eaton.
