Author: space4knews

October 1, Butwal – Departmental team Nepal Police Club, Khaira Volleyball Club Punjab, and Sabhapokhari Volleyball Club have secured their places in the semifinals of the 2nd Madan Bhandari Cup International Invitational Running Shield Men’s Volleyball Tournament. On Wednesday, in the final group ‘A’ match held at the Butwal International Conference Center, Police defeated Manimukunda Volleyball Club 3–2 in sets, confirming their spot among the last four teams. Police won the challenging match with set scores of 25–20, 23–25, 25–20, 18–25, and 15–12.

With this third consecutive victory, Police emerged as the group winner. From the same group, Khaira Volleyball Club Punjab advanced to the semifinals as runners-up by defeating Sri Lanka Police Club 3–1 in sets. Khaira demonstrated a strong performance with set scores of 25–20, 25–20, 19–25, and 25–17. Following these results, Manimukunda and Sri Lanka Police were eliminated from the competition.

In group ‘B,’ Sabhapokhari Volleyball Club secured their semifinal berth by achieving their second consecutive victory. By utilizing a roster mostly comprised of Indian players, Sabhapokhari defeated APF Club 3–1 in sets, winning 24–26, 25–19, 25–20, and 20–11 respectively. The final match scheduled for Thursday was left unfinished due to floodlight failure. The league phase encounter between APF and Gujarat Sporting Club was halted by mutual agreement when the set score stood at 1–1. Both teams have agreed to complete the remaining part of the match on Friday, after which the final semifinalist will be determined. The semifinal matches are also slated for Friday.

Organized by the Madan Bhandari Sports Academy, this tournament features a total of seven teams—four from Nepal and three international squads. Running through October 3, the tournament winner will receive a Running Shield along with a prize of NPR 700,000. The runner-up will be awarded NPR 350,000, while the third-place team will earn NPR 175,000 and a consolation prize of NPR 75,000. Additionally, cups, medals, and certificates will be presented, according to Academy Chairman Dhruv Acharya.

The best player of the tournament will receive NPR 15,000, while the best spiker, setter, server, blocker, defender, and best coach will each be awarded NPR 8,000.

October 1, Kathmandu – The group divisions and match schedule for the ICC One Day International (ODI) Cricket World Cup 2027, jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia, have been released. The announcement took place during an event held in Cape Town, South Africa, on Thursday, unveiling both the group stage allocations and the fixture list.

According to the groupings, Group A consists of Afghanistan, Australia, India, Pakistan, Zimbabwe, and one team qualifying through the qualifiers. Group B includes England, New Zealand, South Africa, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and another qualifying side. The opening match of the group stage will be contested between India and Australia. Notably, Australia secured their sixth World Cup title by defeating India in the final of the 2023 edition.

Under the new World Cup format, the top eight teams in the ODI rankings alongside co-hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe gain direct entry into the main group stage. Including the qualifier winner, eleven teams are confirmed for the main phase. The second, third, and fourth-place teams from the qualifier tournament must compete in the first stage called the ‘Super Series.’ This stage will feature each of the three teams playing two matches against one another, with only the winner advancing to the main group stage. The other two teams will be eliminated from the World Cup.

The main phase will feature 12 teams divided into two groups, as mentioned above. The top three teams from each group, along with the best fourth-placed team across both groups, will progress to the ‘Super 7’ stage. Conducted in a round-robin format, the Super 7 stage will see the top four teams qualify for the semifinals. A total of 10 teams will participate in the World Cup qualifiers: two full-member nations outside of the co-hosts based on ODI rankings, the top four teams from League 2, and four teams emerging from the World Cup Qualifier playoff.

The World Cup Qualifier playoff will be contested between the bottom four teams from League 2 and four teams from the Challenge League. The top four performers from this playoff will secure a place in the World Cup qualifiers. The Nepalese cricket team is likely to compete in this playoff, and if they qualify, Nepal could advance to the main group stage of the World Cup. The qualifier winner will earn direct entry into the group stage, while teams finishing up to fourth place in the qualifier may still qualify for the group stage through an additional opportunity.

October 1, Dhangadhi – The tenth edition of the SPA Little Flower Pride League commenced in Dhangadhi, with Morning Glory School, Ghodaghodi Community School, and Chetana School emerging victorious on the first day. In the opening match, Morning Glory School from Mahendranagar defeated Ghodaghodi Academy of Sukkhaad by nine wickets. Chasing a target of 83 runs set by Ghodaghodi, Morning Glory achieved it in 8.2 overs for the loss of just one wicket. Abhishek Thapa remained unbeaten with 41 runs, while Ishan Daulyal contributed 31 runs. Santosh Bishwakarma took one wicket for Ghodaghodi. Earlier, Ghodaghodi Academy were bowled out for 82 runs in 13.2 overs after winning the toss and electing to bat. Krishna Bhatt and Sandeep Bisht each scored 16 runs, and Ayub Chand made 12. Nagendra Upadhyay, captain of Morning Glory, claimed three wickets. Aryan Bisht, Jerry Chand, and Nimesh Pant took two wickets apiece, while Sajan Bital took one. Abhishek Thapa was named Player of the Match.

In the second match, Ghodaghodi Community School defeated Dhangadhi Yoddha by 10 runs. Setting a target of 127 runs, Ghodaghodi restricted Dhangadhi Yoddha to 117 runs for eight wickets in 15 overs. Deepak Rokaya scored 28 and Dinesh Wad 22 runs. Sujan Gautam from Ghodaghodi took four wickets. Himal Pant took two wickets, while Travis Jasi and Hemant Budha claimed one wicket each. Ghodaghodi had been all out for 127 runs in 12.4 overs batting first. Dinesh Rawat scored an aggressive 52 runs off 19 balls, including seven fours and three sixes. Dhangadhi Yoddha captain Deepak Kapdel took five wickets. Khagendra Sunar took two wickets, while Saurya Shrestha and Deepak Rokaya claimed one wicket each. Dinesh Rawat was adjudged Player of the Match.

The third match of the day saw Chetana School defeat Aishwarya Vidya Niketan by 57 runs. Chasing 143 runs set by Chetana School, Aishwarya managed only 85 runs for nine wickets in the allotted 15 overs. Himal Bogati scored 32 runs. Chetana’s captain Anil Rawat took three wickets. Biraj Bisht and Dhirendra Sunar took two wickets each, while Subham Bam took one. Batting first, Chetana School scored 142 runs for six wickets in 15 overs. Himal Khadka contributed 53 runs off 29 balls, including three fours and three sixes. Aviral Bik scored 32 and Abhinav Shah 26 runs. Manish Bhatt took three wickets and Himal Bogati claimed one wicket for Aishwarya. Himal Khadka was named Player of the Match.

The tournament was inaugurated by Dr. Anand Bahadur Chand, Member of Parliament for Kailali Constituency No. 5. During the ceremony, he pledged to construct the Fapla Cricket Ground during his tenure and confirmed his commitment to the project. He shared that the final preparations for awarding the construction contract were underway, and work would commence soon. The opening ceremony, chaired by Ramchandra Shahi, president of Little Flower Sports and Events Pvt. Ltd., saw the presence of numerous sports enthusiasts. Running until October 7, the competition features 15 teams from across the country. The winning team will receive a trophy, medals, certificates, and a cash prize of NPR 200,000, while the runners-up will be awarded a trophy, medals, certificates, and NPR 100,000. Outstanding players in each category will receive trophies along with cash awards, and each Player of the Match will receive NPR 1,000.

15 Ashoj, Kathmandu – Dipendra Singh Airee, captain of the Nepal T20 cricket team, remained unsold in the auction for the International League (IL) T20, set to be held in the UAE. Airee had registered for the auction with a base price of 10,000 USD, but no team placed a bid on him. Previously, he was part of the Gulf Giants squad for two seasons, although he did not get a chance to play in any matches.

September 30, Kathmandu – The International Cricket Council (ICC) has implemented new regulations aimed at accelerating the pace of the game and introducing additional protocols. These rules will take effect for all international series starting from October 1 onward.

According to the updated guidelines, in men’s cricket, a batter who is not ready to face the ball within the allotted time will receive a warning on the first instance, a final warning on the second, and on the third and any subsequent occasions, the opposing team will be awarded a five-run penalty. Persistent time-wasting offenses may attract further disciplinary action as per the code of conduct.

Changes have also been made regarding the size and weight of the ball used in women’s cricket. There will now be distinct specifications for balls used in men’s, women’s, and junior cricket categories. Additionally, only throws directed at the stumps to prevent runs or effect run-outs will be classified as ‘overthrows.’ Misfields involving stopping the ball or passing it to another fielder will no longer be considered overthrows.

Furthermore, umpires have been granted enhanced authority concerning when the ball is considered “finally settled.” The ball will no longer have to be in the hand of the bowler or wicketkeeper to be deemed settled. During a run-out or stumping, the ball must be fully controlled by the fielder attempting the play to be considered as having been caught; merely touching the ball while breaking the stumps will not suffice.

Saurabh Ganguly, Chair of the ICC Men’s Cricket Committee, emphasized that these changes address the modern demands of the game while maintaining clarity and consistency in the laws. The new rules will be enforced in all international series commencing October 1 or later, while ongoing series will continue under the previous regulations.