KATHMANDU, JUNE 17

In their second match of the ongoing Tri-Nation T20I series in Scotland, Nepal clinched a narrow two-wicket victory over the hosts in a low-scoring thriller.

Chasing a modest target of 98 runs, Nepal reached the total in 19.5 overs with 8 wickets down. Opener Kushal Bhurtel top-scored for Nepal with 30 runs, anchoring the innings at a critical stage.

Dipendra Singh Airee contributed 14 runs, while Basir Ahmad and Kiran Thagunna chipped in with 13 and 10 runs respectively. None of the other batters managed to reach double digits.

Nepal found themselves in early trouble at 38 for 3, before Bhurtel and Airee steadied the chase with a 22-run partnership. The middle and lower order then collapsed at regular intervals: Nepal lost their fourth wicket at 60, fifth at 75, sixth at 77, seventh at 87, and eighth at 97.

With just one run needed off two deliveries, Sandeep Lamichhane walked in to join Karan KC at the crease. A soft push off the bat brought the winning single, sealing a tense win for Nepal.

Earlier, put in to bat after losing the toss, Scotland were bowled out for a paltry 97 in 19.4 overs. Michael Leask was the top scorer with 44 runs, while Matthew Cross and Brandon McMullen added 15 and 10 runs respectively.

Nepal's spin spearhead Sandeep Lamichhane was the standout performer with the ball, taking 4 wickets for just 11 runs in his 4-over spell. Karan KC and Dipendra Singh Airee picked up 2 wickets apiece, while Lalit Rajbanshi claimed one.

Scotland's innings faltered early, losing five wickets within the powerplay. Although Cross and Leask attempted a recovery with a 39-run stand, the lack of support for Leask after Cross's dismissal hindered their effort to post a competitive total.

Nepal had previously lost their opening match of the series to the Netherlands in a dramatic third super over. They are scheduled to play the Dutch again on Thursday.

Sandeep Lamichhane said, 'The bowlers set the tone early-I just executed the plans. We didn't want a repeat of yesterday's game. I'm happy we could finish the match and proud of the team's effort.'

Likewise, Scotland skipper Matthew Cross said, 'We didn't have enough runs on the board to defend-it was tricky. Losing five wickets in the powerplay hurt us. A total of around 120 would've given us a better chance.'

In the end, it was a victorious effort, said Nepal's skipper Rohit Paudel. The bowlers performed exceptionally well in the powerplay, which was pleasing to see, and Sandeep bowled brilliantly. We had hoped to chase the target comfortably, but we failed to capitalize. As a batting unit, we need to step up moving forward.