Kathmandu, February 19:

Nepal are virtually out of the ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup after losing their second consecutive Group ‘C’ match against Australia at the University Sains Malaysia grounds today. Nepal lost to Sri Lanka by 61 runs on Monday.

Electing to field first after skipper Paras Khadka won toss, Nepali team fought well late in the Australian innings to restrict the Kangaroos to 206 runs in 49.3 overs but could only manage 110 runs in 32.1 overs in reply.

Australia were cruising along nicely at 165-5 in 40 overs before eventually being out for 206 with three balls to spare, thanks largely to skipper Khadka who rattled lower-middle order batsmen. Australian openers Kirk Pascoe and Philip Hughes put on a

solid 62-run opening stand before Raj Shrestha gave the Nepali team the break through in the first ball of the 15th over, bowling Pascoe for 37 runs.

Pascoe struck five fours and a six in his 39-ball innings while Hughes played a patient innings, scoring 46 off 94 balls that included just two boundaries. Rahul Vishwokarma dismissed him in the 17th. Michael Crammer and James Faulkner played a crucial role in adding up the total. Crammer scored 32 and Faulker 22.

Just when Australia looked like posing a big total, Paras Khadka took four quick wickets to end the Australian innings. Khadka dismissed Josh Hazlewood for seven to stop the Australian march. Khadka took 4-32 from 9.3 overs while Raj Shrestha returned with 3-32 from 10 overs. Rahul Vishwokarma claimed two and Antim Thapa Magar one wicket.

Chasing the moderate target, Nepal lost three quick wickets and never recovered. Nepal lost three wickets in five balls to be 16-3 in the fourth over. Wicketkeeper batsman Mahesh Chhetri (one) was out in the last ball of the third over. Anil Mandal and Paras Khadka soon followed Chhetri in the next over to J Pattinson. Pattinson dismissed Mandal for nine runs in his third ball of the fourth over before trapping Paras leg before wicket in the next ball.

Tailender Rahul Vishwokarma top-scored with 33 to render some respectability to the Nepali total. Vishwokarma hit three fours and a six in his 47-ball innings. Other major contributors were Gyanendra Malla (17) and Raj Shrestha (11). Man of the match Pattinson (3-25), Clive Rose (3-21) and Steven Smith (3-3-25) all claimed three wickets each for Australia.

Australia lead Group C with four points from two games while Sri Lanka are next with two points from one game. Nepal and Namibia both are yet to open their accounts. Nepal play their last match against Namibia on Thursday.

In a Group B match, left-arm seamer Pardeep Sangwan wrecked South Africa with a five-wicket haul to give India their second win. Sangwan’s deadly strikes bowled out South Africa for 149, a total India surpassed for the loss of four wickets, that almost assured the Indians a quarter-final berth.

Likewise, England thrashed Bermuda by 10 wickets in group D. Defending champions Pakistan fought back after being dismissed for 156 by New Zealand to bowl their rivals out for 129 and win the group ‘A’ by 27 runs.