KATHMANDU, September 11: Sandeep Lamichhane registered best bowling figures of his career on route to decimating Thailand in the Group-A opening match of the Asian Cricket Council U19 Eastern Region championships at the Club Aman cricket ground in Malaysia on Monday.
Thailand folded in mere 10 overs scrapping 26 runs on the board chasing the target of 282 runs. Nepal won the match by 255 runs registering one of their biggest wins by runs margin.
Former skipper Lamichhane required only four overs to pile up his tally of seven wickets conceding just six runs. Opening pace bowling duo of Nandan Yadav and Kishore Mahato picked up one wicket each. Current skipper Dipendra Airee claimed the other wicket. In a rather forgettable day for Thailand, three batsmen were dismissed for ducks with none of the batsmen reaching double figures. Panasak Daenmalidoi top scored for Thailand with eight runs as none of the batsmen were able to register a single boundary.
Earlier, Thailand won the toss and Skipper Agam Sanjay Shah elected to field. Nepal number three batsman Anil Sah scored his career best 91 runs in 74 deliveries including six fours and five sixes. Sah was supported by Pranit Thapa Magar’s half-century in 61 deliveries which included three fours and one six. Sandeep Sunar (32), Rohit Kumar Poudel (28), Dipendra Singh Airee (22) and Pawan Sarraf (22) chipped in with important contributions to take Nepal’s score to 281 runs in completed 50 overs. Thailand’s Payuputh Sungnard scalped three Nepali wickets supported by Panasak’s two to limit the further damage.
In the other match of the group, Singapore U-19 stroll passed Bhutan U-19 by 9 wickets at the Kinrara Oval. Singapore won the toss and elected to field before chasing down the target in their 15th over after dismissing Bhutan for 112 runs in the 45th over.
Nepal U-19 plays their next match on September 13 against Bhutan U-19 at Kinrara Oval. Similarly, Singapore U-19 will play Thailand U-19 on September 12 at Bayuemas Oval.