Brandon McMullen's 43 off 21 sets up Sudurpaschim's five-wicket win over Chitwan

Sudurpaschim Royals beat Chitwan Rhinos by five wickets on Monday in the second game of the day at the TU International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur, with 20 balls to spare. It was Match 11 of NPL Season 3. Sudurpaschim have won two of their four games and move up to third. It was Chitwan's first defeat in three games.

Sikandar Raza captained Chitwan in his first game of the season. Kushal Malla missed another match with a finger injury, OnlineKhabar reported.

Bopara's 49

Sudurpaschim won the toss and chose to field. Hemant Dhami had Dev Khanal lbw for 7 in the second over, Scott Kuggeleijn bowled Arjun Saud for 15, and Dipendra Singh Airee had Dawid Malan caught behind for 16. Chitwan were 62 for 3 in the tenth over.

Ravi Bopara held the innings together with 49 off 40 balls, three fours and two sixes, until Kuggeleijn had him caught by Airee one short of fifty. The Kathmandu Post notes that Bopara passed 10,000 T20 runs on the way. Raza made 15 off 20, Bibek Kumar Yadav 17 off 15 before he was run out off the last ball, and Chitwan finished on 129 for 6.

Kuggeleijn took two for 26. Dhami, Airee and Anil Kharel took one each, and Kharel's four overs went for 18.

McMullen takes it away

Rijan Dhakal bowled Saif Zaib for 2 in the second over. Brandon McMullen came in and hit 43 off 21 balls, with six fours and two sixes, and the Royals were 70 for 2 inside seven overs. Ranjeet Kumar then struck twice in two balls, McMullen caught by Khanal and Airee bowled for a duck, and finished with three for 28 from four overs.

Ishan Pandey made 25 off 29 before Mausam Dhakal had him lbw at 103, and Aarif Sheikh (20 not out) and Sherfane Rutherford (21 not out off 15) saw it through. Sudurpaschim reached 131 for 5 in 16.4 overs. McMullen was player of the match.

The scorecard and the points table are on the match page.