After Saif Zaib scored 90 runs even in difficult conditions in the morning, Sudurpaschim Royals have given a target of 188 runs to Lumbini Lions in Nepal Premier League (NPL) cricket.
After Lumbini won the toss on Saturday, Sudur Paschim, who batted first, scored 187 runs by losing 4 wickets after playing the scheduled 20 overs at the Trivi Cricket Ground, Kirtipur.
English batsman Zaib hit 6 fours and 5 sixes in 61 balls. He got out in the 18th over and shared 49 runs in 6.3 overs with Vinod Bhandari for the first wicket, 57 runs in 43 balls with Brandon McMullane for the second wicket and 53 runs in 24 balls with captain Dipendra Singh Airey.
Vinod scored 17 from 13 balls with 2 fours, McMullen scored 23 runs from 20 balls with 1 four and six. Dipendra played 19 balls and hit 4 fours and 2 sixes and remained unbeaten on 39 runs. Arif Shaikh was out on the very first ball he faced. From Lumbini, Ramon Simmonds took 2 wickets for 32 runs in 4 overs and captain Rohit Paudel and Vivek Yadav took 1 wicket each.
Lumbini has replaced Ashutosh Ghirohia with Ajurn Saud in their playing XI. Although there is a provision in NPL that a team is allowed to play four foreign players, Sudurpaschim is playing only three foreign players against Lumbini. The team has replaced Rohan Mustafa with Vasant Khatri. Brandon McMullen, Saif Jaib and Scott Kuglen are playing as foreign players from the team.
Sudurpaschim has made a great start by winning both the first matches. Lumbini was defeated in both matches.
