The Nepal APF Club has lived up to their billing as favourites in the Prime Minister’s Cup Women’s Twenty20 national cricket tournament, crushing Karnali Province by a staggering 92 runs to book their place in the playoffs. This convincing win was their fifth in a row, and they currently sit atop the table with an unassailable record.

On the other hand, Karnali are left licking their wounds after five consecutive defeats. In pursuit of APF’s imposing target of 161, they could only muster 68 runs in 20 overs, losing eight wickets. Tirshana Bishwakarma scored 19 runs, while Gauri Bohora and Rashmi Khadka chipped in with 12 and 10 runs, respectively. However, it was APF’s bowlers who stole the show. Karuna Bhandari led the charge with a four-wicket haul, ably supported by Suman Bista, Binu Budha, and captain Sita Rana Magar.

Earlier in the day, Koshi Province strengthened their playoff aspirations with a 55-run victory over Gandaki Province. This win lifts them to second place in the table with eight points from five games, while Gandaki languishes in sixth with just two points.

Chasing Koshi’s target of 104, Gandaki fell apart, managing only 48 runs in 15 overs. Suman Khatiwada was the lone bright spot with 21 runs, but the rest of the batting order failed to reach double figures. Koshi’s disciplined bowling unit, spearheaded by captain Rubina Chhetri’s three wickets, proved too strong for Gandaki. Sangita Rai, Alisha Khadia, and Apsari Begum also chipped in with wickets.

Koshi had posted a modest 103 runs earlier, losing eight wickets in their 20 overs. Bimala Malaha scored 25 runs, while Sangita Rai and Lakita Rajbanshi added crucial contributions of 23* and 22*, respectively. Gandaki’s bowlers, including Kushum Godar and Shrishti Jaisi with two wickets each, and Rachna Chaudhary, Suman Khatiwada, and Akriti Tiwari with one wicket each, put up a decent fight. Still, it was not enough to prevent defeat.