Kathmandu, Feb. 1: Nepal Police Club continued its perfect run at the PM Cup Men’s National One Day Cricket Tournament after securing its eighth consecutive victory on Wednesday. 

With a comprehensive 103-run win over Lumbini Province at Upper Mulpani Cricket Ground, Police so far has remained unbeaten in the league stage. Police Club is the first team to book a place in the final of the PM Cup. With 16 points and one match in hand, the Police sits at the top of the standings without any threat from the opponents. 

The second-placed Army has 12 points and will be playing its last league stage match against Gandaki Province.  

Also having 12 points each, Bagmati and Madhes are in the 3rd and 4th positions being inferior in net run rate against the Army. Having played all their nine matches, Bagmati and Madhes’s title challenge is already over.

As the top two teams in the table face each other in the finals for the cup, the win over Gandaki on Thursday will earn Army 14 points and secure the berth in the final to be played on Saturday. 

Table topper Police will also be facing Sudur Paschim Province on the last match day of the league stage of the PM Cup on Thursday.  Sudur Paschim has eight points from eight matches.  

Electing to bat first at Upper Mulpani, three national team players shined for Nepal Police as the team posted a target of 246 runs after getting bundled out in 37.3 overs. While Kushal Bhurtel fell two runs short of his half-century, Aarif Sheikh and Karan KC crossed the half-century mark.

Captaining the team in lack of Dipendra Singh Airee, Sheikh added 76 run-a-ball while Karan KC exploded with six sixes and six boundaries before departing at 57 off 27. Nar Sarki bagged four wickets, Bir Magar took three, and Krishna Karki and Avishek Gautam claimed one each for Lumbini. 

Lumbini, however, failed to chase the target as the team got bundled out in the 37th over for 142 runs. Dilsad Ali was Lumbini’s highest scorer with 36 off 46 followed by Nar Sarki’s 31 off 41.

Kushal Bhurtel was Police’s highest wicket-taker in the game with three followed by Karan KC’s two. 

Karnali stuns APF

On the other hand, Armed Police Force (APF) Club ended its hope for a place in the top four as Karnali defeated the strong departmental team by 21 runs at TU International Cricket Ground. 

Having given to bat first, Karnali gave a target of 207 runs to APF and successfully defended it. APF was unable to chase the target despite Aasif Sheikh’s century as only three others scored in double figures, but less than 30.

While Sheikh departed at 108 off 112 in the 42nd over, Amar Routela added 28, captain Rohit Paudel contributed 14 and opener Lokesh Bam scored 11.

Prakash Jaishi took four wickets, and Dipendra Rawat and Unish Singh bagged two each.

While there was no century from Karnali, there were two half-centuries from the bat of Himanshu Shahi (62 off 50) and Arjun Gharti (53 off 74). Likewise, Dipendra Rawat’s 27 off 24 and captain Rabindra Shahi’s 22 off 30 were of great help. Mousom Dhakal bagged three wickets for APF, Routela took two and Bhuvan Karki and Ramesh Kurmi claimed one each.

While the top two teams will vie for the cup, the top four teams will play in the Men’s Elite Trophy scheduled for April in the domestic cricket calendar by the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN).