Opener Bhurtel scores maiden ODI century, shares record partnership with skipper Paudel
Kathmandu, February 14
Kushal Bhurtel scored a century as Nepal registered maiden victory over Namibia in the One Day International match here at the TU Stadium today.
Karan KC completed a five-wicket haul and former skipper Sandeep Lamichhane marked his return to international cricket with three wickets as Nepal bowled Namibia out for 285 runs in 50 overs after inviting the tourists to take the first strike. The home team then reached 287-8 with 14 balls to spare in the tri-series match under the ICC Cricket World Cup League-II.
Chasing the highest-ever ODI target, Nepal lost Aasif Sheikh for a duck in the second over before Bhurtel and Gyanendra Malla added 50 runs for the second wicket.
Malla hit four boundaries in his 35-ball 25. Bhurtel combined with skipper Rohit Paudel to share a record 133 runs for the third wicket to set the tone, emulating the previous ODI best of 129 runs shared by Dipendra Singh Airee and Dev Khanal against Papua New Guinea in March last year.
The home team lost three wickets in quick succession to be reduced to 212-5 after Paudel, Kushal Malla (six) and Dipendra Singh Airee (seven) were dismissed in the space of 26 runs. Paudel handed a return catch to Rubel Trumpelmann after scoring 72 off 76 balls that included seven fours and three sixes. He became the first Nepali batter to complete 1,000 ODI runs when he reached 55.
Bhurtel - who received lifelines on 27 and 39 runs after Namibia fielders dropped catches - stood firm at the other end and he shared a 49-run partnership with Sundeep Jora, who hit three fours and a six in his 24-ball 28, to take the team closer to victory.
Bhurtel lost his wicket in the 48th over at a time when the team needed four runs to win the match.
Bhurtel, who brought up his maiden century off 88 balls, fell for 113-ball 115 that included 10 hits to the ropes and four sixes. The first Nepali opening batsman to score a century, Bhurtel became fourth cricketer to score century in ODIs after Paras Khadka, Rohit Paudel and Dipendra Singh Airee.
Nepal then lost Lamichhane (naught) in the next delivery before Sompal Kami hit the winning four off Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton to complete the victory. Karan KC remained unbeaten on 20 off just 12 balls that included a four and two sixes. Nepal's previous highest successful chase was 255 runs achieved in 44.4 overs against the United Arab Emirates in 2019. Nepal also posted the highest ODI total emulating the previous best of 286 scored against PNG.
Rubel Trumpelmann (3-48) and Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton (3- 54) shared six wickets between them for Namibia, while Bernard Scholtz and Tangeni Lungameni grabbed one wicket each.
Earlier, Nepal made an early breakthrough when Sompal Kami bowled opener Lo-handre Louwrens (five) in the third over and Lamichhane reduced Namibia to 45-2 after he bowled another opener Karl Birkenstock (13) with a googly in his second ball of the match.
Michael van Lingen and skipper Gerhard Erasmus revived the innings with a 124- run partnership. Erasmus hit two fours and three sixes in his 56 off 79 balls as the home team bowlers failed to find the breakthrough. But when they did, Namibia lost last six wickets for 62 runs.
Van Lingen, who reached three figures off 118 balls, scored 133 off 147 balls that included nine fours and five sixes.
Zane Green was the other notable contributor with a quick fire 34 off 19 balls with the help of four boundaries and a six.
Karan KC became the only Nepali bowler to take three five-wicket hauls after he grabbed 5-61 from 10 overs, while Lamichhane - who has been accused of raping a minor and is out on bail - yielded record 66 runs in his ODI career but cleaned up the tail on his way to taking three wickets. Sompal Kami and Kushal Malla bagged one wicket each.
A version of this article appears in the print on February 15, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
