KATHMANDU, JULY 11
Nepal national cricket team faced a 40-run defeat against Namibia in the first match of the ODI Tri-series under the ICC Cricket World Cup League-II at the Cambusdoon New Ground in Ayr, Scotland today.
Batting first, Namibia were bowled out for 220 runs in 47.3 overs before Nepal were packed for 180 runs with 19 balls to spare. Nepal first allowed Namibia post a challenging total despite reducing them to 144-5 and then lost the last five wickets for a paltry 50 runs.
Chasing a modest target, Nepal lost first four wickets for 58 runs before Dev Khanal and Aarif Sheikh added 45 runs for the fifth wicket.
Sheikh ran out of partners as Nepal's batting woes continued one more time.
Sheikh, who remained unbeaten on 50 off 84 balls, shared two 27-run partnerships - with Sompal Kami for sixth wicket and Karan KC for eighth wicket.
But he saw his partners falling cheaply at the other end. KC hit two fours and a six in his 11-ball 19.
Opener Kushal Bhurtel scored 27 off 46 balls, while Aasif Sheikh was dismissed for 14. Khanal struck two fours in his 65-ball 34.
Vice-captain Rohit Paudel (naught), Dipendra Singh Airee (four), Kami (10), Mohammad Aadil Alam (10), debutante Basir Ahamad (three) and skipper Sandeep Lamichhane (naught) faltered with the bat.
David Wiese, Bernard Scholtz and Jan Frylinck took two wickets each for Namibia, while Ruben Trumpelmann and Gerhard Erasmus grabbed one apiece.
Earlier, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton and David Wiese added 50 runs for the seventh wicket to help Namibia post a challenging total after Nepal had reduced them to 144-5 inside 35 overs. Loftie-Eaton top scored for his side with 60 off 70 balls with the help of five fours and a six, while Wiese contributed 18.
Opener Divan la Cock scored a quick fire 41 off 32 balls hitting seven boundaries, while skipper Gerhard Erasmus contributed 49-ball 22. Craig Williams (21), opener Lo-handre Louwrens (18), and JJ Smit (17) also scored in double figures for Namibia.
Nepal skipper Sandeep Lamichhane took 4-54, while Sompal Kami claimed 2-44.
Karan KC, debutante Basir Ahamad and Dipendra Singh Airee grabbed one wicket each. Lamichhane used seven bowlers in the match, while the skipper and Airee were the only two players who got a full 10 overs to bowl.
The loss pushed Nepal back to sixth position in the seven-team table, while Namibia moved to fifth with 16 points. Nepal have 15 points from 17 matches. Nepal will play against hosts Scotland in Glasgow on Wednesday.
Nepal will face Namibia again in Ayr on July 16 before wrapping the tour with a match against Scotland in Glasgow on July 17. Oman are at the top of the table with 44 points, while Scotland are second on 30. The United Arab Emirates are third with 26 points, followed by the United States of America (23).
Papua New Guinea are at the bottom with two points.
A version of this article appears in the print on July 12, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
