Janakpur Bolts secured their spot in the Nepal Premier League (NPL) final by defeating Karnali Yaks by 2 wickets in a thrilling second qualifier on Thursday, December 19, at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur.
Chasing a modest target of 119 runs set by the Yaks, the Bolts faced early setbacks, losing both openers for just 9 runs. However, the middle-order batsman James Neesham anchored the innings with a vital 45-run knock to guide the Bolts towards the finish line. The Kiwi all-rounder was supported by Harsh Thaker (17), Aakash Tripathi (13), and Sher Malla, who remained unbeaten on 15. The Bolts took 19 overs to reach the target.
Bipin Sharma led the Yaks' bowling effort with 3 wickets, while Sompal Kami, William Bosisto, and Zeeshan Maqsood claimed one wicket each.
Earlier, the Yaks struggled with the bat after being sent in to bat first, managing just 118 runs for 9 wickets in their 20 overs. Opener Jaykishan Kolsawala fell for a single run, while Dev Khanal (24), Gulsan Jha (25), Zeeshan Maqsood (12), William Bosisto (14), and Unish Thakuri (12) contributed modest scores. Extras added 8 runs to their total.
The Bolts' bowling unit was spearheaded by Lalit Rajbanshi, James Neesham, and Mohammad Mohsin, who took two wickets each, while Harsh Thaker and Sher Malla picked up one apiece.
With this hard-earned win, the Bolts are set to face table-toppers Sudurpaschim Royals in the highly anticipated final on Saturday. However, Sudurpaschim holds an edge, having defeated the Bolts in their two previous encounters, including the first qualifier just a day ago.
The NPL champion will walk away with a cash prize of Rs 11 million, while the runner-up will receive Rs 5.1 million. The third and fourth-placed teams will earn Rs 2.5 million and Rs 1.5 million, respectively.
