A stunning final-quarter comeback from the Tigers. Everest dominated 3/4th of the game but just capitulated in the last 20 minutes or so. The signs were there when Shahi took on the bowlers at the start of the innings but lost four partners for single-digit scores against the Tigers' pacers.
His almost one-man show found support in Thapa for a brief phase and the duo's counter-attack put Everest right in front. However, a lack of game awareness from Shahi saw him throw his wicket away on the last ball of the seventh over and Everest just couldn't come back from it.
Mehmood came for his second over and blew away the middle-order with three wickets in four balls and Rasedul killed the game off in the ninth.
8.4 Hasan Rasedul to Kishor Basnet, THAT IS IT, those stumps have really taken a beating as Rasedul goes full and straight this time and beats the batter's swing, Everest have fallen like 9-pins losing their last 6 wickets for 7 runs. Nicosia Tigers win by 27 runs
Kishor Basnet b Hasan Rasedul 4 (2b, 1x4, 0x6)
8.3 Hasan Rasedul to Kishor Basnet, FOUR, this is unexpected, width on offer and Basnet slices it just over point and that one skittles away to the fence
8.2 Hasan Rasedul to Bhuwan Khatri, punched towards long-on for a single
Bhuwan Khatri, RHB, comes out
8.1 Hasan Rasedul to Shyam Pandit, WHAT IN THE WORLD IS HAPPENING?? pitches it right in the slot and Pandit looks to go big, challenges long-on but does not clear him, taken inside the ropes and that is FOUR WICKETS IN FIVE BALLS Shyam Pandit c Vansham b Hasan Rasedul 1 (2b, 0x4, 0x6)
No hat-trick but three wickets in four balls for the big man Zeeshan. That's how you can quite simply kill a game out of nowhere.
8
overs
86/8score
1
1
W
W
0
W
runs
Ramesh Bogati*
0(2)
Shyam Pandit
1(1)
Zeeshan Mehamood
3/10
7.6 Zeeshan Mehmood to Ramesh Bogati, GETS HIM THIS TIME, another one hunting for the stumps and it is too good for Bogati, cleans him up and they are falling like a pack of cards now Ramesh Bogat ib Zeeshan Mehmood 0 (2b, 0x4, 0x6)
7.5 Zeeshan Mehmood to Ramesh Bogati, ALMOST A HAT TRICK, goes full and for the stumps yet again, Bogati too swipes across the line and misses, the ball just about escapes the off stump, dot ball
Ramesh Bogati, RHB, comes out
7.4 Zeeshan Mehmood to Mohammad Hussain, TWO IN TWO FOR ZEESHAN, goes for the poles again and the batter swings and misses yet again, the ball hits the stumps again and Everest are struggling now
Mohammad Hussain b Zeeshan Mehmood 0 (1b)
Mohammad Hussain, RHB, comes out
7.3 Zeeshan Mehmood to Iswor Thapa, KNOCKED HIM OVER, goes full and straight, Thapa swings all across it and loses his poles, another big wicket for the Tigers Iswor Thapa b Zeeshan Mehmood 21 (11b, 1x4, 2x6)
7.2 Zeeshan Mehmood to Shyam Pandit, goes fuller and straighter again, an inside edge towards fine leg gets them a single
7.1 Zeeshan Mehmood to Iswor Thapa, fuller and straighter, chips down the ground and mistimes it towards the bowler, they get a single
Zeeshan Mehmood [1-0-7-0] comes back
Another twist in this game! Just when Shahi got the support of a teammate -- Thapa -- he threw his wicket away.
7
overs
84/5score
1
4
0
6
1
W
runs
Arjun Shahi*
48(22)
Iswor Thapa
20(9)
Tahmidur Rahman
2/17
6.6 Tahmidur Rahman to Arjun Shahi, SHAHI'S LUCK RUNS OUT, angled into the pads and Shahi looks for the big shot again flicks it but does not get it off the middle, goes to square leg who takes it, HUGE WICKET and the game is open again