Kathmandu – Nepal registered their first One-day International win on home soil after defeating the USA by 35 runs. This win also opened their account in the points table of ICC World Cup League 2.
Team News
Subash Khakurel replaced Sharad Vesawkar as he got injured in the previous match against Oman and Rohit Paudel was replaced by Kushal Malla.
Toss
The USA team won the toss and invited Nepal to bat.
Subash Khakurel and Gyanendra Malla opened the inning for Nepal but Khakurel come back game in the National jersey, and after more than a year, ended up in 10 balls. Gyanendra Malla managed 21(39) and out-of-form Paras Khadka struggled to convert his slow start. He managed to score 19 runs after playing 52-balls.
Nepal’s middle order batsmen Aarif Sheikh and Dipendra Singh Airee once again failed. Both went for 2 and 0 respectively.
Binod Bhandari and Debutant Kushal Malla steadied the progress and gave a fighting total for Nepal. Their partnership of 84 for sixth-wicket rescued the team from 5-49.
Malla hit his maiden-fifty and became a youngest cricketer to score ODI fifty. He played a fighting knock of 50 runs in 51 balls and rescued the middle overs for Nepal with Binod Bhandari. His run-a-ball fifty included 4 fours and 3 sixes.
Bhandari also brought his half-century. He scored 59 balls from 79 balls, including 6 fours and 1 six. His experience in the middle overs with Malla helped Nepal to pile up 190 before they were bowled out in 49.4 overs.
Ian Holland’s fighting knock of 75(111) runs went in vain as the USA were bowled out for 155 runs in 44.1 overs. Karan KC was the pick of the bowlers as he clinched back-to-back four wickets(7.1-1-15-4) on the home soil.
Spinners Sandeep Lamichhane (2), Sushan Bhari (3) and Kushal Malla (1) chipped in with 6 wickets in total from 30 overs.
