MATCH STORY
Follow UsAt 22/3, the ball is moving hoops with Chitwan Rhinos under immense pressure against Karnali Yaks on December 6.
What does a 39-year-old Ravi Bopara do?
He shows his worth and saves the Rhinos with a 40-ball 59. First, Bopara spent time understanding the conditions on offer, considering it was a new pitch. But once he knew how the pitch was doing its tricks, the Englishman didn’t take the attack to the on-song Gulshan Jha.
He picked the right bowler and the occasion to the T, attacking the favourable match-up, William Bosisto. The off-spinner wasn’t as accurate as the Karnali Yaks would have expected him to be with a short delivery that Bopara effortlessly put over the ropes.
The former England all-rounder didn’t even hesitate to take the attack to Jha later on. He hit a boundary in the square leg region to take his score to 16 off 11. Neither Bosisto nor the debutant Unish Singh were allowed to ease in because of one certain Bopara.
Unish’s nerves were on display when the off-spinner pitched it short against Bopara, who wielded his willow like a sword towards the mid-wicket region for two thunderous boundaries. The pattern was quite evident: If you pitched it even a few metres short, the London-born was ready to rock onto his backfoot for a punch.
While wickets were falling constantly at the other end, the 39-year-old carved one through the gap between the third-man region for a four, bringing up his half-century after moving the other way just one ball before.
Bopara’s stocks only continue to rise in the tournament. He scored his second half-century in as many games after a stellar rescue act against the Pokhara Avengers. It was his 59 that eventually took the Rhinos to 130, a score that they believe will be defendable after a tough start.
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