Nepal wraps up series with win over Netherlands

In a tight finish Nepal bounced back to prevail over  the Netherlands by  16 runs in the last over of their final game of the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 tri-series in Dundee,Scotland.

Invited to bat first openers Kushal Bhurtel and Anil Sah  failed to give the team a good start.

Thanks largely to the middle order batters,they finished their 50 overs with a fighting total of 236 for 9.

Skipper Rohit Paudel, seeking a big knock ended up scoring a handy 35 runs ,which included  a single six.

In fact he played a sedate innings and scored 35 off 60 balls. He resorted to a cautious  approach and batted responsibly throughout.

 

He joined  Bhim Sharki after opener AnilSah  departed for 2 runs with the total at 29 for 2.

The situation required him  to occupy  the crease as long as possible,steady and anchor the innings.Not  risking his wicket, he rightly avoided playing big shots and was content with 1s and 2s.

He  and Sharki shared 59 runs for the third wicket. Coming off a splendid batting performance  against Scotland in the previous match,Sharki played another useful knock of  35 off 48 balls with the help of 3 hits to the short boundary.

Nepal’s innings tottered to 106 for 4 with  Aarif Sheikh’s arrival at the crease.He had to fight back to defy the opposition bowlers from making further inroads.

The  middle order batter needed to play an explosive and defining innings which he did much to the relief of his team.He stayed at the crease till the final over and went on to score a  blistering 84 off 85 balls consisting of 7 fours and 2 sixes. 

His contribution largely helped the team reach a competitive total of 236.The tailenders contributed a few but valuable runs.

In the absence of two frontline bowlers Sompal Kami and Gulshan Kumar Jha  who were ruled out for the match because of injury, Nepal’s bowling attack seemed slightly depleted. 

Thankfully that was not the case. After going wicketless in the previous match,experienced and star leg spinner Sandeep Lamichhane spearheaded the attack and  made a big impact in his 10 overs, claiming three wickets for 39 runs. 

Likewise, spinner Lalit Rajbanshi bowled economically, giving away 29 runs and taking 2 wickets in 10 overs . 

Spotlight was on twenty- four year old   debutante right-arm fast -medium Nandan Yadav who made the most of the opportunity.

Despite pressure and having to bowl the final overs to mop up the tail,he stood  up to the test. He  concluded his 9  over spell with three wickets at the cost of 39 runs making his debut memorable.

Nepal wrapped up the series with 3 wins and one defeat. Having collected six  points they got a slight  bump  in table standings.More importantly, going  forward, they  must win  their remaining  matches to put themselves back in  contention for one of the  four  spots to  advance to the  World Cup Qualifier.

 

If they finish in the bottom four,they get a second chance to make it  to the qualifier.  They have to compete in the World Cup  Qualifier Play-off for the two spots .

This is a very encouraging comeback by the Nepali outfit.However ,they still have  a lot of  ground to cover.Undoubtedly,their resurgence is promising but ultimately hinges on sustainability.They must keep working hard and stay committed to achieving their goals.

Nepal  next competes in the Twenty20 triangular series  against the same opponents Scotland and Netherlands in Glasgow,Scotland,starting June 15th. Thry  take  on Netherlands in the opener on June 16th.