Lumbini Lions Stay Unbeaten with 16-Run Win Over Janakpur
Kirtipur, Kathmandu — No franchise in the Siddhartha Bank Nepal Premier League (NPL) Season 3 has solved the defending champions yet. Overcoming the dramatic setback of losing a wicket off the very first ball of the match, the Lumbini Lions defeated inaugural champions Janakpur Bolts by 16 runs at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur on Thursday afternoon—maintaining their unblemished record and asserting an authoritative lead at the summit of the standings with 7 points from four matches.
After putting together a gritty total of 149 for 8 in their 20 overs, Rohit Kumar Paudel’s side clamped down on Janakpur’s chase with clinical spin and death bowling—led by Australian all-rounder D’Arcy Short’s match-turning 3 for 23—to restrict the Bolts to 133 for 8.
Captain Rohit Paudel (34) Rescues Lumbini After First-Ball Shock
Inserted to bat after losing the toss in Match 14, Lumbini suffered an instant jolt when opener D’Arcy Short was castled for a golden duck off the first delivery by Janakpur left-arm spinner Lalit Rajbanshi. Refusing to let the early blow rattle their composure, Aasif Sheikh (21) and Niroshan Dickwella (27) stabilized the innings with a fluent 43-run partnership for the second wicket.
Skipper Rohit Kumar Paudel then anchored the middle overs with a composed 34 off 30 deliveries. A late fireworks cameo from Dilip Nath (25 off 16 balls with two boundaries and two maximums), supported by Ruben Trumpelmann (15 not out) and Shamim Hossain (13), propelled the Lions to a highly defendable 149/8 despite fine spells from Rahul Yadav (2/17) and Vishal Susling.
D’Arcy Short (3/23) and Sher Malla (2/29) Suffocate Janakpur Chase
Having missed out with the willow, D’Arcy Short repaid his team emphatically with the ball. Employing subtle flight and drift with his left-arm wrist spin, Short dismantled Janakpur’s middle order to return decisive figures of 3 for 23 from 4 overs, while Tilak Bhandari chipped in with 2 key wickets.
Janakpur skipper Harmeet Singh (33 off 20 balls) and Aaditya Mahata (30* off 24 balls, including four sixes) launched a spirited counter-attack to bring the required equation down to 42 off the final 15 deliveries. However, death-overs specialist Sher Malla (2 for 29) bowled Harmeet in the 18th over to shut the door and seal a memorable 16-run win.
Match Summary & Key Takeaways
- Lumbini Lions: 149/8 in 20 overs (Rohit Paudel 34, Niroshan Dickwella 27, Dilip Nath 25; Rahul Yadav 2/17, Vishal Susling 2/24).
- Janakpur Bolts: 133/8 in 20 overs (Harmeet Singh 33, Aaditya Mahata 30*; D’Arcy Short 3/23, Sher Malla 2/29, Tilak Bhandari 2/25).
- Result: Lumbini Lions won by 16 runs to sit top of the NPL table on 7 points.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the turning point in Lumbini Lions vs Janakpur Bolts?
D’Arcy Short’s spell of 3 for 23 in the middle overs and Sher Malla dismissing dangerous Janakpur captain Harmeet Singh in the 18th over broke Janakpur’s chase.
Who top-scored for Lumbini Lions?
Captain Rohit Kumar Paudel top-scored with 34 runs off 30 balls, followed by Niroshan Dickwella (27) and Dilip Nath (25).
