Nepal’s national cricket team has bagged their fifth consecutive win in CWC League 2 after defeating Papua New Guinea (PNG) on Monday. Nepal registered a comfortable four-wicket win with 28 balls spare at Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Earlier, Nepal bagged two wins each against Scotland and Namibia on home soil.
Nepal vs PNG – Scorecard – Match 29 – #ICC #CWCL2 #ODI
Online scorecard – https://t.co/pbObki1LEi pic.twitter.com/pdTHfLM85V— cricnepal.com 🇳🇵 🦏 (@cricnepal) February 27, 2023
Chasing a modest total of 204 runs, Aasif Sheikh and Kushal Bhurtel yielded a pleasant start adding 76 runs for the first wicket. Sheikh scored 39-ball 44 before departing in the 15th over. Gyanendra Malla also walked back cheaply after a couple of overs.
Kushal Bhurtel then scored a half-century ending the overseas fifty droughts. He scored 56, crunching five boundaries.
Rohit Paudel managed run-a-ball 20 runs before he threw his wicket. Nepal were down to 135/4 in the 26th over and Dipendra Singh Airee and Aarif Sheikh steadied the innings. The duo shared 54 runs for the fifth wicket to take Nepal into a comfortable position. Sheikh and Airee scored sluggish 33 and 22 respectively.
Kushal Malla (12)* scored a winning boundary off Sese Bau in the second ball of the 46th over.
Assad Vala picked up three wickets for the losing side. Norman Vanua and Sese Bau also pocketed one each.
PNG were restricted to 203/9 in the allotted 50 overs after being invited to bat first. Kiplin Doriga and Sese Bau shared fifty runs stand for the second wicket after the early dismissal of Tony Ura (2). Doriga and Bau scored 29 and 31 runs respectively.
The PNG middle order were unable to do any special as they were six down for 133 runs within the 37th over. Only skipper Assad Vala scored 36 runs. Later, Chad Soper’s unbeaten 36 and Norman Vanua’s 15-ball 25 helped PNG post a fighting total.
Gulshan Jha's best figure in ODI was 2/19 against Scotland but today against PNG he was in-form, picking up three-wickets.
✔️ 17.5 to K Doriga, 61/2
✔️ 23.2 to S Bau, 84/3
✔️ 27.5 to CJA Amini, 95/4 pic.twitter.com/J95tFsST4D— cricnepal.com 🇳🇵 🦏 (@cricnepal) February 27, 2023
Gulshan Jha was the pick of a bowler for Nepal grabbing three wickets. Kushal Malla picked up two, while Sompal Kami, Karan Kc and debutant Pratish GC grabbed one wicket each. None of the Nepalese bowlers bowled a full ten-over spell in the match.
