Kathmandu, April 16

Sharad Vesawkar and Binod Bhandari guided Nepal to a five-wicket victory over Namibia in the first of the third-round matches of the ICC World Cricket League Championship here at the TU Stadium today.

The duo added 84 runs for the unbroken sixth-wicket partnership to see the team home after the hosts lost half their batsmen for 113 runs in 33 overs. Bhandari raised the tempo hitting three sixes, while Vesawkar played calmly and finished the match in style hitting the winning boundary.

Vesawkar remained at the crease for nearly 36 overs.

Batting first, Namibia scored 195-9 in 50 overs before Nepal reached 197-5 with 17 balls to spare in front of a roaring crowd estimated at around 20,000. This is Nepal’s first win in five matches and the two teams will play their second match on Monday at the same venue.

Vesawkar struck a boundary to reach his half century that came off 99 balls, while Bhandari remained unbeaten on 40 off 49 balls that included a four and three sixes. Sarel Burger and Gerrie Snyman took two wickets each for the visitors.

Earlier, Namibia got off to a flying start scoring 25 runs in the first two overs bowled by Sompal Kami and skipper Khadka. Kami struck in the first ball of the third over trapping skipper Stephan Baard (18) leg before, while he reduced the visitors to 42-2 in seven overs when he bowled Zane Green (14).

Namibia kept on scoring runs freely despite the loss of openers and raced to three figures in 21 overs, albeit for the loss of two more wickets.

Sixteen-year-old Sandeep Lamichhane made a dream debut taking the wicket of Helao Nafidi Ya France at a time when Namibia had already added 33 runs for the third wicket.

Basant Regmi snapped up a diving catch to dismiss France for 26 and he trapped Gerrie Snyman leg before for 23 to reduce the visitors to 102-4. Skipper Khadka accounted for JP Kotze, while wicketkeeper Rijal completed a smart stumping off Regmi to send Gerhard Erasmus (25) to the pavilion.

The lower order batsmen Scholtz (18) Burger (38) and Smit (26) scored all important runs to take the team close to 200. Left-arm spinner Regmi was the pick of Nepali bowlers taking 3-40 from 10 overs, while Kami returned with the figures of 2-47 from eight overs. Khadka and Lamichhane pocketed one wicket each.