KATHMANDU, April 22: Nepal beat Malaysia by 69 runs in a match under the ongoing Tri-Nations T-20 Series played at the Tribhuvan University Cricket Ground in Kirtipur on Thursday afternoon.
Inspired by Karan KC’s blitzering 45 off 13 balls, Nepal posted a mammoth target of 218 for the loss of seven wickets in the allotted 20 overs. Earlier, Nepal was invited to bat first by Malaysia after winning the toss. Aasif Sheikh contributed 42 while Dipendra Singh Airee added 41 runs. Kushal Bhurtel, a debutant in the series, however, failed to continue his scoring streak. He could score only 16 of 12 balls before he was caught out in the fifth over.
Nepal bats first against Singapore in ACC U-16 final
Malaysia, which couldn’t register even a single win in the series, stumbled during the whole match as it lost its fifth wicket in the ninth over. Aminuddin Ramly (41) was the highest scorer in the Malaysian line-up. Skipper Ahmad Faiz scored 31 runs while no other batsman could contribute significantly to the run-chase. The visiting team could score only 148 runs before they were all out for 148 runs.
Nepal’s T20 debutant bowler Kamal Singh Airee took three Malaysian wickets while leg spinner Sandeep Lamichhane and pacer Sompal Kami claimed three wickets each.
Now, Nepal will face the Netherlands in the final of the series to be held at the same venue on Saturday. In the two encounters against each other during the series, Nepal won in one while the Dutch team in the other.
