Shahi magnificent bowling spell sends Parsa crashing

BY NARAYAN UPADHYAY

Kathmandu, April 27: Kapilbastu Captain Basant Shahi led from the front and produced a magnificent bowling spell that sent Parsa crashing out of the final of the Jaya Trophy Cricket Tournament played the Tribhuwan University Ground today.

Captain Shahi who claimed four wickets for 18 runs did all the damage for the Parsa batting lineup. The decision to bat first at the TU Ground pitch by Parsa Captain Mussaraf Izhar backfired as his team collapsed to a paltry 79 in 30.4 overs against the excellent medium pace bowling of Shahi who was well supported by diminutive allrounder Basant Regmi. Shahi’s excellent bowling figure (10-4-18-4) won him the final man of the match.

It was sweet victory for Kapilbastu team which actually was helped by the half a dozen Rupandehi cricketers including its star players Raju Khadka, Regmi and captain Shahi. Kapilbastu burst into the national cricket scene just last year and reached up to the final of the national Jaya Trohpy. Kathmandu beat them at the final then.

In today’s final, the Parsa batsmen led by captain Izhar, who scored 50 runs in yesterday’s semifinal against Morang, failed to shine up today as their batsmen made a hurry to depart the pitch against the Shahi and Regmi (7-3-11-3) and Vijay Yadav’s (3.4-0-11-2) attacks.

Only Jay Prakash Saraf showed some resilience and his 33 (two fours and two sixes) was the only highlight of Parsa innings. Except for Saraf, nobody could reach the double figure. Three batsmen—captain Izhar, Rajiv Shrestha and Kalamudding Ansari—were out without scoring.

The Kapilbastu batsmen, led by their star player Raju Khadka, looked confident to win the match and they proved that they were in good forms. Opener Sanju Thapa managed well made 20, but the real batting was produced by none other than Khadka.

Coming at the number four slot, Khadka smashed quick 25, studded with four 4s and one 6 that sealed the fate of Parsa in just 17 overs.

After the final, Minister of State for Education and Sports Dilendra Prasad Badu gave away prizes, medals cups and certificates to the winners, runner-ups and team coming at the third position.

At the function State Minister Badu said that the government had been doing what it could to promote sports including cricket in the country.

Badu congratulated the winning team. He also said that both winners and losers are important in games, because
both winners and losers give fullness to any events of the sports.

He thanked Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) for bringing cricket players from all over the country in Kathmandu and congratulate its members for being successful in completing the tournament without any problem. He further said that the financial discipline is necessary to promote sports activities in the country.

National Sports Council Member Secretary Binod Shankar Palikhe said that CAN had been doing well to organise the tournament. He further said that NSC is committed to provide cricket grounds in four places to CAN. Palikhe reiterated that NSC has started taking strict measure in its initiation to financial discipline.

At the prize distribution ceremony, CAN President Jaya Kumar Nath Shah shed light on the CAN’s different activities of past and present.

CAN Vice President T. B. Shah present his report of the yearly Jaya Trohpy Tournament while Secretary Binay Pandey delivered the note of thank. At the function Nepali cricket coach Aftaab Baloochand, other assistant coaches and CAN members Uday Thapa, Bijay Sharma, CAN treasurer Sashi Dutta Pandey, member Biraj Pyakurel were also present.

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