Lumbini Reach NPL Final as Biratnagar Collapse Again

Lumbini Lions reached the final of the Nepal Premier League (NPL) on Thursday, December 11, after defeating Biratnagar Kings by 40 runs in the second qualifier at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur, Kathmandu.

The Lions, who finished bottom of the table last season, will face Sudurpaschim Royals in the final on Saturday, December 13. The Royals topped the league standings and thrashed Biratnagar by 77 runs in the first qualifier to reach their second successive final.

Though Lumbini scored 134/8 in 20 overs, their disciplined bowling restricted Biratnagar to 94 in 17.5 overs.

The Kings’ opening batter Martin Guptill fell for 2 off 3. Lokesh Bam walked in and departed for a golden duck. When Faf du Plessis, the other opener, was bowled in the second over, Biratnagar were reeling at 6/3. Shankar Rana was next to fall for 7 off 14.

Sam Hazlett offered resistance with 34 off 28. But Biratnagar were 58/5 at the halfway mark when he fell. Merchant de Lange made 17 off 20. Basir Ahmed and captain Sandeep Lamichhane scored three each. Pratish GC managed 2.

Naren Bhatta struck two sixes and a four in his run-a-ball 21. His dismissal ended the innings.

Tilak Bhandari led Lumbini's bowling attack with three wickets. Ruben Trumpelmann, JJ Smit and Abhishesh Gautam claimed two each. Sher Malla removed du Plessis in the second over. Bhandari, who conceded only 15 in four overs, was named player of the match. Gautam bowled at an economy of 5.5. Trumpelmann gave away just nine runs in three overs and delivered the first two breakthroughs. Smit conceded 15 in 2.5 overs.

The second qualifier mirrored Biratnagar’s earlier collapse. In the first qualifier, they had slipped to 3/3 in 1.1 overs and dismissed at 78 in 14.1 overs while chasing 156 against Sudurpaschim Royals. On Thursday, they lost three wickets for six runs in 1.3 overs.

Lumbini had earned their place in Qualifier 2 by beating Kathmandu Gorkhas by four wickets on Wednesday.

Earlier, Lumbini struggled to finish strongly with the bat. They were 97/3 in 14.4 overs, thanks to opener D’Arcy Short’s 45 off 41 and captain Rohit Paudel’s 34 off 30. But wickets fell quickly thereafter. Niroshan Dickwella made 29 off 22. Trumpelmann chipped in with 11 off 8. The remaining batters failed to reach double figures. Sundeep Jora and Smit fell for two-ball ducks.

Subash Bhandari and Pratish GC took three wickets each while Lamichhane claimed two for Biratnagar.