Khadka's sensational batting helps Nepal trample UAE by 4 wickets

KATHMANDU: Skipper Paras Khadka's whirlwind half-century and spearhead Sompal Kami's four wicket scalps propelled Nepal to seal convincing four wickets win over UAE during the ongoing ICC WCLD II.

With today's emphatic victory over the Gulf nation, Nepal register two victories out of three matches of the ICC World Cricket League Division II played at Windhoek, Namibia, on Sunday.

Nepal chased down the target of 115 runs with four wickets and 31 balls to spare after the rain spoiled game was reduced to 34 overs.

Skipper Parash Khadka played a blistering innings of 51 runs off just 48 balls, studded with two cracking fours and five humongous sixes.

After winning the toss, skipper Khadka had invited UAE to take the first strike before folding them for a meagre 114 runs in 31 overs.

Nepal's spearhead bowler Sompal Kami gave Nepal an early breakthrough by dismissing Ashfaq Ahmed for a nought in the first over of UAE's innings. He served a pitch of a delivery which nipped back after pitching on off stump line to evade Ahmed defence to shatter the stumps.

Shaiman Anwar top scored for UAE with 30 runs in 64 balls which included two hit to the fence.

UAE never got into the grove of building their innings together as they lost wickets in regular interval to disciplined Nepali bowlers who bowled in tandem to tandem.

Sompal Kami was pick of the bowlers with 7-0-30-4. Leg spin bowler Sandeep Lamichanne took three UAE scalps where as Khadka bagged two wickets.

Wicket shy Karan KC chipped in with a wicket.

After restricting UAE to paltry score of 114, it was up to under pressure Nepali batsmen to overcome the target. Like always Nepal's poor form with the bat continued as they lost openers cheaply without troubling the scoreboard.

Dilip Nath and Gyanendra Malla fell cheaply for 2 and 5 runs respectively. At one stage Nepal were reeling at 20/3 inside 7 overs.

Dipendra Singh Airee was cleaned up by Mohammad Naveed before UAE's Rohan Mustafa trapped Sarad Veswakar leg before for 3 runs. With skipper at the crease, Nepal were 46/4. Khadka anchored the innings with his stroke filled 51 runs before he fell while trying to up-the-ante in the 17.2 overs.

Nepal still required 39 runs for victory with five wickets and 16.4 overs in hand.

Lower order batsman Rohit Kumar Paudel and Sompal kami remained unbeaten on 12 and 10 runs respectively to take them home over the line.

UAE's Mohammad Naveed and Amir Hayat took two wickets each while Ahmed Raza and Rohan Mustafa chipped in with a wicket each.

Nepal skipper Khadka was later adjudged as Man-of-the-match for his overall performance.

Earlier, Nepal registered a hard fought one wicket victory over the hosts Namibia in their opening encounter before loosing to Oman by six wickets in the second fixture of the campaign.

The top two team will qualify for the 2019 world qualifier to be held in Zimbabwe next month.

With today's emphatic triumph over UAE, Nepal have climbed two second spot next to table topper Canada with two victory out of three games in the ongoing ICC World Cricket League Division Two.

Nepal will take on Kenya tomorrow at the Wanderers Cricket Ground in Windhoek before facing the table topper Canada at the same venue on February 14.