Nepal Police Club kept their top-two hopes alive with a 48-run win over Karnali Province in Match 35 of the PM Cup at Narayani Cricket Ground, Birgunj.
Batting first, Nepal Police posted 261 for 8 in 50 overs. Dinesh Kharel anchored the innings with 82 off 100 balls, hitting nine fours and a six. He shared key partnerships through the middle overs, first with Amit Shrestha and then with Rashid Khan, as Nepal Police recovered from early wickets to build a competitive total.
Amit made 30, Rashid added 24, and Aarif Sheikh scored 27. Late runs from Karan KC, who remained unbeaten on 21, also helped push the total beyond 260. Karnali's bowlers fought back through Prakash Jaishi, who took 3 for 57, while Dinesh Adhikari claimed 2 for 69.
Karnali responded with a few useful contributions but never truly took control of the chase. Arjun Gharti top-scored with 46, Bipin Shahi made 40 and Sunil Dhamala added 34. Yet regular wickets kept dragging them back after they slipped to 59 for 2 and later 144 for 6.
Lalit Rajbanshi broke the chase open with 5 for 36 and was named Player of the Match. Karan KC supported him with 3 for 29, while Aarif Sheikh and Dipak Chand took one wicket each as Karnali were bowled out for 213 in 45.2 overs.
The win moved Nepal Police to 11 points from eight matches and strengthened their push for a top-two finish. Karnali, meanwhile, remained near the bottom after another defeat.
