Janakpur Bolts secured a dominant win over Biratnagar Kings in the inaugural match of the Nepal Premier League at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground on Saturday, November 30.
Bolts chased down the target of 128 in just 15.3 overs, losing only two wickets.
Despite the early setbacks of losing both openers—Aasif Sheikh (0 off 3) and Anil Sah (5 off 4)—in the first two overs, Lahiru Milantha and Harsh Thaker steadied the innings, putting together a match-winning 116-run partnership for the third wicket.
Milantha scored 75 runs off 53 balls, hitting nine fours and three sixes. Thaker supported him with 29 off 33 balls.
Chris Sole and Pratis GC were the only wicket-takers for the Kings, each claiming one wicket.
Having won the toss and opted to bowl first, the Bolts’ spinners dominated the Kings' batters. Biratnagar Kings could only manage to score 128 runs.
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Apart from New Zealander Martin Guptill, who scored 55 off 43 balls, and Oman's Aqib Ilyas, who made 15 runs off 18 balls, no other batter reached double figures. The Kings' innings fell apart after Guptill’s dismissal. He reached 50 with a six but was caught at mid-on attempting another shot off Harsh Thaker.
At the end of the 14th over, the Kings were 96/4, and the collapse continued, with the team losing half their side for just 100 runs in 15.3 overs. Rajesh Pulami Magar faced six balls, scoring just 1 run.
In a spin-heavy attack, Lalit Rajbanshi led the charge for the Bolts with 3 wickets, while Kishore Mahato and Harsh Thaker each claimed 2 wickets. Ben Mike and Mohammad Mohsin Khan also picked up a wicket apiece.
Rajbanshi struck in the second over to dismiss Lokesh Bam, and Mohsin removed Aqib Ilyas in the 9th over. At the halfway mark, the Kings were 65/2. However, when Nicholas Kirton was dismissed in the last ball of the 12th over, the Kings had only made 82 runs.
The Kings' struggles deepened as Sandeep Lamichhane and Jitendra Mukhiya fell on consecutive balls in the 18th over. Chris Sole, the last batter to be dismissed, made 4 runs off 5 balls.
