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 Anil Sah 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.

By Sushil Thapa, Fairfax,VA