The men’s national cricket team of Nepal made a dream start in the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 triangular series in Scotland.

In a nerve wracking match Nepal coasted to a thrilling one wicket victory over hosts Scotland in the second last ball of the last over of the allotted 50 overs in Forthill, Dundee, Scotland.

Player of the match speedster Karan KC hogged the limelight for his outstanding all round performance.Drawing upon his experiences, he displayed solid composure and dogged determination to guide his team to a well earned and very important victory.

After claiming two wickets,he played a blistering unbeaten 65 off 41 balls with the help of three fours and four sixes . Coming at number 9 ,Nepal had slumped to 192 for 7 and defeat at that point seemed imminent despite a promising batting performance by the top- order batters. Despite enormous pressure KC held the team’s shaky innings together and successfully resisted the opposition bowling attack. His crucial 18 runs in the 49th over tilted the match in Nepal’s favor eventually.

Nepal’s decision to bowl first seemed to have backfired after Scotland set up a challenging and competitive total of 296 for 7.

The bowlers performed fairly well on a pitch favorable to batters.KC,Rijan Dhakal and Sompal Kami scalped two wickets each ,while Sandeep Lamichhane claimed one.

In the run chase, Nepal top -order needed to bat solidly and consistently, especially the openers had to give the team a solid start.

Openers Khushal Bhurtel and Aasif Sheikh did not disappoint as they laid a healthy foundation by sharing 72 runs for the first wicket.

Bhurtel batted aggressively to score 53 off 44 balls,which included 11 hits to the short boundary. On the other hand, Sheikh made just 20 runs but his contribution proved handy. Although both openers were back in the pavilion in quick succession, the innings was consolidated by Bhim Sarki(40) and skipper Rohit Paudel (37) and later by Gulshan Jha(43) and the rescuer for Team Nepal KC.

Newly appointed Australian head coach Stuart Law boys faced a must -win situation in the series to improve their standings.

They could not afford to lose as their chances of making it to the top four could’ve taken a further beating.

It is good to see Nepal back in the win column and their suspect batting come alive.

The batters displayed plenty of grit,application,confidence and positivity to overcome the odds.Despite the win,batting is still key to Nepal’s success in upcoming matches.

The batters have to remain razor focused,positive, disciplined and confident. It is important that they bat consistently to their ability.

With three more matches to go in the series, it is imperative that they work on their shortcomings and carry the momentum forward. There is absolutely no room for complacency whatsoever. Besides, there is room for improvement in both bowling and fielding.

With extra collective effort and a positive mindset,Nepal stands a good chance to redeem themselves and end the series on a high note .

Nepal next plays formidable the Netherlands on Wednesday at the same venue. Let us hope that they can have an encore of their performance .

By Sushil Thapa, Fairfax, Va