Karnali Yaks made a modest total of 132 but produced a decisive bowling performance to beat Janakpur Bolts by 19 runs in the Nepal Premier League on Tuesday.
Chasing 133, Janakpur were bowled out for 113 in 19.3 overs, losing their final six wickets for just 19 runs. The collapse denied the former champions a winning start to the tournament.
Left-arm spinner Unish Bikram Singh Thakuri turned the match around with three wickets. In the 14th over, he bowled Janakpur captain Harmeet Singh for 19 with a cut-and-bowled dismissal. Two overs later, he struck twice in successive deliveries, removing Jimmy Neesham and Aaditya Mahata to wrest control of the match from Janakpur.
Janakpur’s top order also failed to deliver, with Trit Raj Das making one, Mayan Yadav 14, Anil Kumar Sah 11 and Kusal Perera six. Abhisekh Tiwari top-scored with 20 off 17 balls, including two sixes, while Lalit Rajbanshi was bowled for one.
Unish and Pakistan’s Hussain Talat took three wickets each for Karnali. Unish conceded 22 runs in four overs, including a maiden, while Talat gave away 26 in his four overs. Nandan Yadav took two wickets for 13 runs in 2.3 overs, and captain Sompal Kami claimed one.
Earlier, after being asked to bat, Karnali managed 132 for nine in their 20 overs.
Opener Ariful Islam top-scored with 43 off 29 balls, hitting four sixes. Pawan Sarraf added 37 off 37 balls, including three sixes, while Deepak Dumre made 13 with two sixes and Gulshan Jha scored 12. Mark Watt was out for one, while Talat, Akbar Ali and Sompal Kami made three, one and one respectively. Nandan Yadav scored 10.
Janakpur captain Harmeet, making his first appearance for the franchise, took three wickets for 22 runs in four overs. Moeen Ali and Rahul Yadav claimed two wickets each, while Lalit Rajbanshi took one.