KATHMANDU, FEBRUARY 18

Nepal defeated Oman by 39 runs in the opening match of the ICC T20 World Cup Global Qualifiers at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Muscat today.

Batting first after Oman elected to field, Nepal were bowled out for 117 runs in their allotted 20 overs but the Rhinos managed to pack the hosts for a paltry 78 runs with 18 balls to spare. In another Group B match, Canada thrashed the Philippines by 118 runs. Canada posted 216-1 riding on unbeaten 108 off just 66 balls from Matthew Spoors and 44-ball 73 from Rarran Pathan.

Canada then restricted Philippines to 98-5 to stay ahead of Nepal in the table.

Nepal made the worst possible start after being sent in to take the first strike. The Rhinos lost openers Aasif Sheikh (four) and Kushal Bhurtel (five) with just 12 runs on the board before former skipper Gyanendra Malla and Dipendra Singh Airee (11) added 21 runs for the third wicket.

Nepal lost both batsmen in the space of seven runs as the hosts reduced them to 40-4 inside nine overs. Malla struck two fours in his run-a-ball 15.

Aarif Sheikh and Lokesh Bam shared a 27-run partnership but Nepal continued to struggle in building their innings and were on the verge of collapsing again. Bam hit Nepal's first six before being dismissed for 17-ball 16, while Bibek Yadav (seven) and Kamal Singh Airee (one) fell cheaply as the hosts reduced them to 87-7 in 17.2 overs.

Aarif Sheikh and skipper Sandeep Lamichhane added 30 runs for the eighth wicket before the former was dismissed in the last ball of the innings.

Player-of-the-match Sheikh top scored with 37-ball 38 hitting two fours, while Lamichhane remained unbeaten on seven-ball 16 that included one each four and six.

Khawar Ali took 3-30 for Oman, while Bilal Khan grabbed 2-25.

Nepali bowlers then displayed their true character by not allowing the Oman batsmen to settle in the middle and play freely. Nepal grabbed wickets at regular intervals after Kamal Singh Airee made the breakthrough in the third ball of the innings when he had Kashyap Prajapati caught by Dipendra Singh Airee for a naught. Jitendra Mukhiya dismissed Ayaan Khan (three) in the second over reducing the hosts to 7-2. Dipendra Singh Airee ran out opener Jatinder Singh (nine) in the sixth over and Nepal skipper Lamichhane bowled Khawar Ali (seven) in the next over to bring his side into the match. Dipendra Singh Airee accounted for Oman skipper Zeeshan Maqsood (two) in eighth over, while Abinash Bohora had Shoaib Khan caught behind by Aasif Sheikh (one) six balls later to reduce Oman to 35-6.

Aamir Kaleem and Naseem Khushi briefly threatened to take the match away from Nepal adding 31 runs for the seventh wicket before Lamichhane separated the pair in the 13th over. Lamichhane bowled Khushi for 24 off 18 balls.

Dipendra Singh Airee trapped Kaleem (nine) in the 14th over before Kamal Singh Airee struck twice in the 17th over to complete the victory.

Kamal Singh Airee was the pick of Nepal's exceptional bowling attack and he returned with figures of 3-15 from three overs, while skipper Lamichhane (2-20) and Dipendra Singh Airee (2-15) took two wickets each. Nepal will take on the Philippines on Saturday and will face Canada on February 21 in the last group stage match.

Top two teams from Group B will make it to the semi-finals and they will join the other two sides from Group A, which consists of UAE, Ireland, Germany and Bahrain. The two finalists will earn tickets to the World Cup to be held later this year in Australia.

A version of this article appears in the print on February 19, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.