KATHMANDU, AUGUST 19

Nandan Yadav's five-wicket haul powered Nepal to their first victory in the ongoing Top End T20 Series in Australia's Northern Territory, as they defeated Hobart Hurricanes Academy by 66 runs on Tuesday.

After three consecutive losses, Nepal bounced back in Darwin by defending a target of 181 runs. Hobart were dismissed for 114 in 16.1 overs, with Yadav starring in the attack, taking 5 for 17 in just three overs.

Captain Rohit Paudel, Rijan Dhakal, Sandeep Lamichhane, and Kushal Bhurtel chipped in with one wicket each.

For Hobart, Badley Hope (31) and Charlie Wakim (28) were the only notable contributors, while the rest of the batting order struggled to make an impact.

Earlier, batting first after winning the toss, Nepal posted 180 for 7 in 20 overs. Openers Kushal Bhurtel and Aasif Sheikh provided a steady start, scoring 27 and 29 runs respectively. Bhurtel struck four boundaries off 20 balls before falling in the final over of the powerplay, while Sheikh hit two fours in his 28-ball knock.

Bhim Sarki added 18 runs, but skipper Rohit Paudel could manage only 9. Kushal Malla contributed 6 off 8 balls, while the innings gained momentum through Aarif Sheikh, who top-scored with 33 runs off 26 deliveries, including three boundaries.

A late flourish came from Lokesh Bam, who struck an unbeaten 25 from just 10 balls with three fours and a six.

With the ball, Hobart's Nibethan Radhakrishnan and Raph Macmillan took two wickets apiece.

Nepal are scheduled to face Melbourne Renegades Academy on Wednesday and Pakistan Shaheens on Friday.

Following the Top End T20 Series, Nepal will conduct an additional week of training in Australia, including four T20 matches against Cricket ACT (August 26) and South Australia (August 28), followed by a one-day match against South Australia on August 30.

In September, Nepal will also travel to the UAE for a three-match T20I series against the West Indies as part of their build-up.

A total of nine teams will compete in the Asia and East Asia-Pacific Qualifier, with the top three sides advancing to the T20 World Cup in India next year.

Nepal Squad:

Rohit Paudel (captain), Dipendra Singh Airee (vice-captain), Sandeep Lamichhane, Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh, Kushal Malla, Gulshan Jha, Aarif Sheikh, Bhim Sarki, Rupesh Kumar Singh, Sompal Kami, Nandan Kumar Yadav, Karan KC, Rijan Dhakal, Lokesh Bam, Sahab Alam.