KATHMANDU, Feb 18: Nepal defeated Namibia with the help of half-centuries from Aasif Sheikh, Gyanendra Malla and Kushal Malla in the third match of the ICC World Cup League-2 triangular one-day international series at Tribhuvan University Cricket Ground in Kirtipur on Saturday. Namibia gave Nepal a target of 275 runs. After met the target in the run chase, defeating Namibia by 3 wickets.
Namibia, who lost the toss and were invited to bat first, scored 274 runs for the loss of 6 wickets.
Unbeaten Zane Green scored the highest 75 runs for Namibia. He hit 11 fours and a six off 63 balls and played a 94-run partnership with Pikky Ya France for the sixth wicket. Pikky Ya France was out for 49 runs off 39 balls with four fours and three sixes. Pikky Ya France missed out on a half-century when he was run out by fast bowler Sompal Kami.
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Opener Lo-handre Louwrens was out for 41 runs, Karl Brikenstock for 20 and Michael van Lingen returned to the pavilion with 22. Ruben Trumpelmann remained unbeaten on 24 runs as captain Gerhard Erasmus and Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton were dismissed for 15 runs each.
Sandeep Lamichhane took three wickets for Nepal giving away 46 runs in 10 overs. With his three wicket haul, Lamichhane became the third player overall and the first player from Nepal to complete 50 wickets in League-2. He has taken 51 wickets from 23 matches. Apart from that, Karan KC took one wicket for Nepal.
In the run chase, Nepal’s opener Kushal Bhurtel was sent packing in 2.1 overs with just one run off 5 balls. Another opener Aasif Sheikh, who top scored 81 runs off 98 balls, and former captain Gyanendra Malla (65 runs) steadied Nepal’s innings playing a 139-run partnership for the second wicket.
After the departure of Malla and Sheikh in 26.1 overs and 31.2 overs respectively, Kushal Malla partnered with Captain Rohit Kumar Poudel to take Nepal close to the target. The duo played a 92-run partnership for the fourth wicket before Malla was dismissed for 62 runs off 49 balls in the 43.4 overs. He hit six fours and four sixes in his innings. Captain Rohit Paudel scored 39 runs off 43 balls. He hit a total of five fours.
Similarly, Dipendra Singh Airee was dismissed after scoring 1 run from 6 balls while Sundeep Jora was out for 3 runs off 7 balls. Tailender Somlap Kami, who hit the winning run, was unbeaten on 8 runs.
Earlier in the league, Nepal had set a record with Kushal Bhurtel and Rohit Paudel sharing a 133-run partnership for the third wicket. The record was broken by Aasif and Gyanendra Malla during this match.
It was Nepal’s third win during this tri-series on home ground. Earlier, Nepal had defeated Namibia by two wickets in the first match, followed by a three-wicket victory over Scotland in the second match.
