KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 3
Nepal defeated Kenya by 17 runs in the second One Day match at the Gymkhana Club grounds in Nairobi today.
Batting first, Nepal were bowled out for 230 runs in 49.2 overs before the hosts were packed for 213 runs with 21 balls to spare. With their second consecutive victory, Nepal took a 2-0 unassailable lead in the three-match series.
The third and final match is slated for Monday.
Electing to bat first, Nepal lost Arjun Saud (five) with 19 runs on the board before another opener Dev Khanal and Gyanendra Malla added 56 runs for the second wicket. Nepal lost three quick wickets in the space of 10 runs - Malla, Khanal and Dipendra Singh Airee (two) - to be 85-4. Khanal struck four boundaries in his 55-ball 37, while Malla scored 25 off 37 balls with the help of four boundaries.
Stand-in skipper Rohit Kumar Paudel shared three small but crucial partnerships to help his side post fighting total. Paudel added 35 runs with Basir Ahmad (17) for the fifth wicket, while he shared a 29-run stand with Mohammad Aadil Alam (14) for the seventh wicket and combined with Sompal Kami to share a 40-run stand for the eighth wicket. Paudel top scored with 78 off 95 balls hitting seven boundaries, while Kami hit two boundaries and the lone six of the innings in his 15-ball 26. Karan KC contributed six-ball 11 with the help of two fours.
Nelson Odhiambo, Viraj Patel and James Ngoche took two wickets each for the home team. Dipendra Singh Airee and Sompal Kami then shared seven wickets between them to restrict Kenya. Airee returned with 4-12 from 5.3 overs, while Kami took 3-40. Karan KC, Mohammad Aadil Alam and Pawan Sarraf bagged one wicket each for Nepal.
Nepal reduced the hosts to 39-4 inside nine overs before Rakep Patel and Collins Obuya shared an 82-run partnership. Patel and Nehemiah Odhiambo (13) then added 50 runs to turn the match to their side but Nepali bowlers bounced back claiming four wickets in the space of 17 runs. Patel top scored with 82 off 104 balls hitting eight fours and a six, while Obuya struck five boundaries in his 55-ball 37.
A version of this article appears in the print on September 4, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.
