Pokhara suffer first defeat with Babar’s fireworks

By Cricketing Country | Posted Posted Dec 17, 2019

Defending champions Pokhara Paltan
suffered their first defeat in the Pokhara Premier League after they crashed to
tournament’s low total in a six-wicket loss to Chitwan Rhinos.

Batting first at the Pokhara
Cricket Stadium, Paltan were bundled out for 107 runs in exactly 20 overs.
Kathmandu Golden Warriors’ 115 against Paltan was tournament’s lowest total prior
to this game. Fast bowler Rashid Khan gave a desired start to Paltan after
getting openers Anil Kumar Sah (duck) and Rohan Mustafa (11) caught behind the
wicket off Binod Bhandari.

But with a long batting line
up including big hitting Babar Hayat to deal with and a low total to defend to,
Paltan couldn’t stop Rhinos from reaching 108-4 from 14.5 overs.

Babar was unbeaten on 66
from 42 balls with six fours and four sixes. He shared 50 not out runs for the
fifth wicket with Sunny Patel who struck an unbeaten 22 off 18 with two sixes
and a four. Rashid Khan and Sarabjeet Ladda took two wickets each for Paltan.

Skipper Paras Khadka (four) and
Aarif Sheikh (one) were unable to trouble the scorecard with both batsmen
losing their wicket to Ladda while playing a big shot. Ladda was hit for 48
runs in four overs. Babar alone hit him for four sixes. ��

Earlier in the morning
conditions, skipper Paras Khadka’s decision to bat first was vindicated by
Rhinos’ strong bowling attack with Sunny Patel removing Sunday’s half centurion
Kushal Bhurtel (five) and Bikram Sob getting rid of Asif Sheikh (10) with just
19 runs on the board.

Captain Sharad Vesawkar and
shared 24 runs for the third wicket with Ravi Inder Singh (10) before Paras had
the latter playing on to his stumps. Binod Bhandari (seven) was undone by a low
diving catch at long off, off Bhuwan Karki.

Sharad and Kushal Malla (13)
then notched up Paltan’s highest partnership of the day adding 36 runs for the
fifth wicket. Rhinos, however, kept on Paltan batting on check with some tight
bowling and had new man Rohit Kumar Paudel run out for a duck.

After taking some time to
settle, Sharad played some blistering shots before he fell in the 18^th
over making a 39-ball 45. He struck three sixes and as many boundaries. Kushal
hit two sixes and Rashid Khan (10) also struck one to take Paltan close to 110.

Sunny bowled a tight line and picked up 2-15
from four overs with one maiden. Rohan (2-22) and Bhuwan Karki (2-16) also
shared four wickets between them. Karan KC also took a wicket for Rhinos.