KATHMANDU, Oct 3: A blistering partnership of 53 runs between U-19 cricket team’s Rohit Kumar Paudel and Rashid Khan in 5.2 overs (32 deliveries) towards the end of the chase against the UAE U-19 cricket team sealed Nepal’s first win of the ACC U-19 Asia Cup by three wickets in the final group match played at Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protisthan No 4 Ground, Savar, Bangladesh on Tuesday.
Nepal chased down a total of 268 runs with five balls to spare. Paudel was adjudged man-of-the-match for his momentous 91 runs with six fours and three sixes. He came in to bat when Nepal lost their third wicket at the score of 104 runs in the 20th over.
Paudel shared a 49-run partnership with in-form Sandeep Jora who made brisk 67 runs in the match including six fours and two sixes during his 74-ball stay. He then mastered a 45 runs partnership with Pawan Sarraf who contributed 9 runs.
However, the real impetus came from fast bowler Rashid’s bat as he smashed 27* runs with three sixes from 14 deliveries as Nepal sealed the match in the last over of the match.
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Nepal skipper Aasif Sheikh contributed 35 runs from 46 deliveries.
Paudel was dismissed run-out by a sharp-bit of fielding by Nawaz.
The UAE bowlers Aryan Lakra and Aaron Benjami picked up two wickets each whereas captain Fahad Nawaz and KP Meiyappan chipped in with a wicket each.
Earlier, the UAE won the toss and elected to bat. The team from the Middle East posted 268 runs propelled by Fahad Nawaz’s top-score of 83 runs from 95 deliveries as he scored five boundaries and three sixes.
Another opening batsman Ansh Tandon scored 67 runs from 81 deliveries sharing a strong partnership of 159 runs for the first wicket in 27.3 overs. The next best score of the match was Brandon Adam and Wasi Shah’s 18 runs each. They faced 16 and 23 deliveries respectively.
Nepali bowlers made a comeback in the match after pace bowler Nandan Yadav struck twice in his return spell to register two wickets in the match. Pace bowler Rashid and off-spinning all-rounder Pawan Sarraf also chipped in with two wickets each followed by a wicket each for the left-arm spin bowling duo of Surya Tamang and Sagar Dhakal.
The UAE were restricted to 268 runs in the 50 overs for the loss of eight wickets. Nepal conceded 19 extra runs. Nepal head coach Binod Das rued the lack of preparations for not being able to advance to the next round in the youth cup.
“It’s been a tough tour for us as a team. Could not achieve what we wanted. We had to do a year’s work in a month’s time. Preparation wasn’t easy and must have made mistakes but will learn and move on. Lots of people need to be thanked. Raju (Khadka) Dai, Sunoj (Bhattarai) Guru, Kalam (Ali), Dipla,” wrote Das on his twitter handle after the match. Nepal was already out of the semi-final contention after losing first two group matches against India and defending champions Afghanistan on Saturday and Monday.
BRIEF SCORES
ACC Under-19 Asia Cup, Group A, in Savar
United Arab Emirates U-19 268/8
Nawaz 83, Tandon 67, Sarraf 43/2
Nepal U-19 274/7 (49.1/50 ov)
Paudel 91, Jora 67, Benjamin 23/2
Nepal U19 won by 3 wickets
Player of the Match: Rohit Kumar Paudel
