KATHMANDU: Papua New Guinea defeated Nepal by three wickets in their second match of the ICC World Cricket League Championship played at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi of United Arab Emirates on Wednesday.

Nepal had set a target of 225 runs against Papua New Guinea.

In the previous match played at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Monday, PNG had defeated Nepal by two wickets.

Today, Nepal had won the toss and elected to bat first. They had posted a formidable total of 224/8 in 50 overs.

Nepal batting woes continued as the openers failed in the very first over of Norman Vanua. He trapped both the batsmen for leg before the wicket.

Sagar Pun and Vice-Captain Gyanendra Malla tried to stead the ship with the third wicket partnership of 67 runs before Malla fell to his personal score of 36 runs off 52 balls with 5 fours in the 18th over. Sagar pun played a patience innings of 47 runs from 92 balls with just a single four to his name.

Captain Paras Khadka came to rescue Nepal with a fighting half century of 58 runs from 81 balls with 5 fours.

Khadka was instrumental in building two vital half-century partnerships with Sagar Pun and Sharad Vesawkar. Since the fall of Khadka’s wicket, Nepali batsmen failed to build a decent partnership along the innings.

Sharad Vesawkar's good run with the bat continued with his 42 runs off 45 balls, but fell while trying to accelerate the scoring rate at the crucial time of Nepali innings.

Other Nepali batsmen could not gather momentum and fell cheaply and Nepali innings folded for the total of 224/8 in the 50 overs.

Norman Vanua was the most impressive bowler for PNG dismissing the Nepali opening batsmen for nought.  His bowling figure read 10-1-49-3. Assad Vala claimed crucial three Nepali wickets in his 5 over spell costing him just 36 runs. Sese Bau was the most economical bowler dismissing both the settled Nepali batsmen Sagar Pun and Gyanendra Malla. He had an impressive bowling figure of 10-2-36-2.

While defending the total, Nepal’s opening bowler Sompal Kami ripped through the top order of the PNG batsmen.

Kami had sent back Lega Siaka back to the pavilion for the golden duck caught behind by the wicket keeper Subash Khakurel. Kami in his return spell-dismissed both the top order batsmen and gave Nepal the belief that they could defend the total.

Sese Bau's contribution of 36 runs off just 41 balls with 6 fours anchored the PNG innings.

Jack Vare and John Reva played out of their skin to win the game by three wickets. They shared the unbroken partnership of 84 runs for the eight wickets. Jack Vare remained unbeaten for 76 off 90 balls with 3 fours and Reva was not out on 31 run off 45 balls with just a four.

However, the game went to the wire and Captain Paras Khadka took the responsibility to defend six runs of the last over. But Vare's sensible batting smacked the first ball for four before Reva scored the winning runs with two balls to spare.

Nepali spin duo of Pun and Shakti Gauchan were impressive with a wicket each. Sompal Kami went for runs in the latter stages of the innings despite his early scalps of three wickets.  Lack of penetration proved too much for Nepali bowlers to defend Nepal’s total of 224/8 in 50 overs.

With this defeat, Nepal lie at the bottom of scoreboard among eight teams participating in the Championship.