Nepal’s quest for a third successive victory over hosts Scotland in the ICC men’s Cricket World
Cup League 2 fell short by a whisker in Dundee,Scotland.
Chasing a record total of 324 runs,Nepal was on the cusp of a remarkable victory needing
seven runs in the last over.
Experienced pacer Safyaan Sharif bowling the last over saved the day for Scotland by taking
the last two wickets including the wicket of dangerous Karan KC when it mattered most.
It was an epic thriller that saw teams fortunes fluctuate in the last five overs. The game took a
thrilling and dramatic turn,following Nepal’s two crucial batting partnerships late in the innings.
Having been on the back foot for the most part,they turned the tide in their favor, putting
themselves in striking distance of success.However, the 2 run defeat turned out to be a case of
so near yet so far for them in the end.
They deserve praise for their fighting spirit and resilient performance,despite the narrow
defeat.This is the second time they have scored 300 plus runs.
The 321 runs scored by them is their highest in the fifty overs format.They surpassed the total
of 310,which they had scored against Oman in 2023.
Bowling first, the Nepali bowlers did not quite live up to expectations,failing to contain batters
from scoring runs freely on a batting friendly pitch.
They could only take five wickets with speedster KC and allrounder Dipendra Singh Airee
sharing 2 wickets each,while Lalit Rajbhansi claimed 1.
Ace right-arm leg spinner Sandeep Laimchhane,Sompal Kami and the rest went wicketless.
In the run chase,Nepal’s top order batters failed to consolidate the innings as they lost their
wickets cheaply. Consequently they were reduced to 34/3 and seemed destined to a big defeat.
At that point,I bet no one in their wildest imagination thought that they would score a record
breaking total and come so close to a famous victory.
The fight back started with a 73 runs fourth wicket partnership between Bhim Sarki and Aarif
Sheikh.
Despite pressure,top scorer Sarki batted brilliantly to go on top of the bowlers .He executed his
shots fluently to score 73 runs with the help of 8 fours.Sheikh contributed a handy 39,which
included five fours.
The seventh wicket partnership between Sompal Kami and Airee yielded 105 runs, providing
the innings a significant lift and setting up an opportunity for themselves to complete an
improbable victory .
Kami’s blistering and destructive knock of 64 runs off 44 balls consisted of four towering sixes
and 3 fours, while Airee’s 56 included 2 fours.
With the arrival of KC at the batting crease,there was still hope for victory. He looked
aggressive,hitting 1 six and 1 four in his innings of 17 off 10 balls,however his departure midway
through the final over virtually put an end to their valiant effort. Rajbanshi could have been the
team’s hero, but he was clean bowled for a duck with a ball to spare .
Hats off to Team Nepal for their incredible effort.They must reflect on their performance and
push themselves with a positive intent and rock solid determination to wrap up the series with a
victory over the Netherlands on Tuesday, June 10.
By Sushil Thapa, Fairfax, VA
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