KATHMANDU: In the latest round of the Jay Trophy Elite Cup, Tribhuvan Army Club and Bagmati Pradesh played out a tense draw, while Nepal Police Club secured a comprehensive innings and 35-run victory over Madhesh Pradesh in another one-sided encounter.
Tribhuvan Army Club and Bagmati Pradesh fought tooth and nail but couldn’t produce a winner in their fourth match of the tournament.
Set a target of 204 runs to win, Bagmati Pradesh could only manage 80 runs for the loss of 5 wickets by the final session, despite Shub Kansakar’s valiant 33 runs.
Army’s bowlers, led by Akash Chand and Pawan Karki, both claiming two wickets, and Kushal Malla, who took one, kept Bagmati at bay throughout the final chase.
Earlier, Army’s first innings had set the tone.
After being put in to bat following the toss, Army posted a competitive 276/5 in 60 overs.
Opener Imran Sheikh was the standout performer with a knock of 72 runs, while Bashir Ahmed contributed a solid unbeaten 53.
Kushal Malla (35) provided late resistance, and Tritaraj Das (44) and Bhim Sarki (32) also chipped in with crucial runs.
On the bowling front, Bagmati’s Bipin Acharya took three wickets for 45 runs, and captain Sandeep Lamichhane claimed two wickets for 103 runs.
Bagmati’s response was insufficient as they were bowled out for 200/9 in 50 overs, still trailing by 76 runs.
Nandan Yadav’s 51 runs was the highest score, but he lacked support from his teammates, with Shubha Kansakar (34) and Uttam Thapa Magar (28) the next highest contributors.
Army’s bowlers kept things tight, making it hard for Bagmati to close the gap.
Army’s second innings saw them declare at 127/8, with Tritaraj Das (28) and captain Binod Bhandari (27) leading the way.
Bagmati’s bowlers, led by Nandan Yadav (4/47), Pratish GC (3/30), and Region Dhakal (1/25), applied pressure but ultimately couldn’t force a result. The match ended in a draw, with both teams still looking for their first win after drawing their opening games.
Meanwhile, Nepal Police Club cruised to an innings and 35-run victory over Madhesh Pradesh in their third match of the tournament.
After Madhesh were all out for just 94 runs in their second innings, Police wrapped up the game in emphatic fashion.
Madhesh had earlier been bowled out for a modest 129 runs in the first innings after being put in to bat by Police. Police then declared their first innings on 258/4, setting a challenging total.
Madhesh’s batting collapse in the second innings was triggered by Police’s Kushal Bhurtel, who was in superb form, claiming 5 wickets. Vishal Patel (27) and Mayan Yadav (22) were the only Madhesh batters to show any resistance.
With the win, Police moved to the top of the standings, while both Army and Bagmati will look to regroup in their next fixtures, hoping to secure a full victory in the next round of the Jay Trophy Elite Cup.
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