![Launceston Nepali celebrate reaching the T20 grand final. Picture by Naresh Pant Launceston Nepali celebrate reaching the T20 grand final. Picture by Naresh Pant](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/8mt7fPj3AeZSAF4grZ2EUc/8fba0717-015b-4be9-86cd-b2684b2a2ac1.jpg/r64_0_1866_947_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Launceston Nepali have created history for their club - making the TCL Twenty20 grand final for the first time.
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Joining the TCL in 2019, the side have played in the T20 competition three times and on Thursday night, they defeated Hadspen by 14 runs to reach the big dance.
They will face Longford next Thursday night at Perth.
"We are absolutely stoked," president Ananda Aryal said.
"This is a big, big achievement and success for us, it has been an overwhelming environment at the club - the guys are really pumped up."
Batting first, they made 162 from their 20 overs as Ramesh Chhetri set the platform with a swashbuckling 56 off just 20 balls.
He smacked four fours and six sixes en route to the half-century and was backed up by Sanjay Sagar's run-a-ball 30 and Aashish Chand's 22 off 23.
"[Chhetri's] last couple of matches against Longford and Hadspen, they were some of the best innings I have witnessed," Aryal said.
"Against Longford he scored 50 in just 13 balls and he batted in the same fashion yesterday, scoring off 16 or 17 balls and they were not small hits, they were massive and out of the park."
Hadspen bowler Glenn Ellis took 3-22 as Nick Price (2-29) and Stan Tyson (2-34) also claimed multiple wickets.
Chhetri backed up his batting performance with the ball - taking 3-24 and removing the crucial wickets of Dane Anderson, captain Ethan Conway (26) and Greater Northern Raider Jono Chapman (48 off 36).
Opener Dean Thiesfield was Hadspen's other major contributor, making 32 off 24 balls as the Chieftains reached 7-148 from their 20 overs.
Upon reaching the grand final, Aryal is hoping for a groundswell of support - anticipating at least 50 to 100 members of the Nepalese community will come along.
"We've been in touch with the community members and since we won last night, a lot of community members were calling us and congratulating us - in person and social media," he said.
"We'll definitely be reaching out and asking for support for the final and heading towards the final next week."
Reigning premiers Longford earned their way into the grand final by defeating Evandale Panthers by eight wickets.
Longford kept the Panthers to 7-97 off their 20 overs with Rickie Wells top-scoring with 22 as the opposition bowlers stamped their authority.
Patrick Morehouse (2-18), Bhagesh Goyal (2-20) and Kieran Davey (2-26) all took multiple wickets while Jessie Arnol (0-11 off four) and captain-coach Richard Howe (1-19) were economical.
Howe and Jackson Blair both made starts before Dan Forster (23*) and Hamish Sytsma (33*) got the Tigers over the line.