Pokhara Avengers Vs Sudur Paschim Royals Highlights, Nepal Premier League: SPR Ease To 18-Run Win, Go Top Of Table

Hello, we are back with another live blog, covering Pokhara Avengers vs Sudur Paschim Royals. Stay tuned for live updates.

Sudur Paschim Royals: Dipendra Singh Airee (c), Chris Lynn, Harmeet Singh, Scott Kuggeleijn, Binod Bhandari (wk), Aarif Sheikh, Ishan Pandey, Abinash Bohara, Josh Brown, Hemant Dhami, Dipak Bohara, Naren Saud, Milan Bohara, Dipendra Thapa, Tek Rawat

Lumbini Lions Squad: D Arcy Short, Sundeep Jora, Dilip Nath(w), Rohit Paudel(c), Gulbadin Naib, Aadil Khan, Sher Malla, Durgesh Gupta, Tilak Bhandari, Thomas Draca, Sumit Maharjan, Abhishesh Gautam, Bishal Patel

The toss has taken place and the news from the centre is that Pokhran Avengers have won the toss and have elected to bowl first.

The players and the umpire all are in readiness as the first innings of the 6th match of NPL is about to begin. Both the openers are on the crease and Akash Chand will start the proceedings for SPR with the ball.

SPR are off to a flying start against POA as both the openers are belting runs all across the park. Josh Brown is the dominant force for SPR who has raced to 34 runs off just 20 balls and is very well complemented by Binod Bhandari who is on 20 off 16 balls.

SPR are off to a dream start against POA courtesy Josh Brown who is batting on 64 off just 32 balls. He has taken the POA bowlers to cleaners and has provided SPR with the right platform from where they can unleash in the last 10 overs with all the wickets intact.

The dangerous Chris Lynn who was hitting has finally departed after hitting a brisk 31 runs off just 13 deliveries. The veteran all-rounder Jimmy Neesham got the wicket and gave his team a sign of relief.

SPR batters are now consolidating onto the perfect start provided by Josh B Brown and Chris Lynn. They have 5 overs left in their innings to unleash with 8 wickets remaining.

After a blistering start, SPR are losing the plot of the innings. In the last two overs, SPR have got only 14 runs and have lost three wickets.

Narender Saud hits the last bowl of the innings for a boundary and with this SPR's innings comes to an end. They managed to set out a target of 194 runs courtesy to the sensational start given by the openers especially Josh Brown who slammed 68 runs off just 35 balls. Chris Lynn also played a quick-fire knock of 31 off 13 balls to take SPR to 193 in 20 overs.

POA are off to a horrendous start while chasing a steep target of 194. Both the openers are dismissed early. Adam Rossington (1) got run out in the 1st over and Dinesh Kharel (6) was dismissed by Harmeet Singh.

The Royals strengthen their grip on the match, with Harmeet Singh having Kiran Thagunna stumped by Binod Bhandari for 9. All eyes are now on Avengers skipper Kushal Bhurtel and their star Kiwi all-rounder Jimmy Neesham as the asking rate balloons to almost 13 an over.

POA: 28/3 (7)

Hold on, this match is not nearly over yet. Kushal Bhurtel and Jimmy Neesham have found their hitting range, and are belting boundaries at will to rattle the Royals. The New Zealand cricketer smashes 47 off 25 before being dismissed by Dipendra Singh Airee, and that ends the dangerous partnership. Sumeet Verma joins Bhurtel with the required run rate now under 12.

POA: 100/4 (12)

Kushal Bhurtel gets to his fifty but falls soon after, dismissed by Scott Kuggeleijn for a 32-ball 53. Naren Saud had dismissed Sumeet Verma before that and Abinash Bohara gets rid of Abhisekh Tiwari after to leave the Avengers seven down. This now is the Royals' match for the taking.

POA: 134/7 (17)

And that's that. Dan Douthwaite tries to offer some late resistance, hitting a 16-ball 37 before Hemant Dhami has him caught by Scott Kuggeleijn. The result was a foregone conclusion by then, however, and the only margin of defeat was reduced.

With 32 runs needed in the final over, Avengers muster 13 and end up losing the match by 18 runs. With that, the Royals notch up their second straight win to go top of the Nepal Premier League standings with four points. The Avengers, on the other hand, suffer their second consecutive defeat this season.