Nepal falls short against Namibia in ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League-2
Namibia completed the target of 169 runs given by Nepal by losing 8 wickets in 40 overs.
KATHMANDU: In the third match of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League-2 triangular series, Nepal faced a defeat against Namibia as the latter successfully chased down the target of 169 runs set by Nepal, losing 8 wickets in 40 overs.
Namibia’s captain, Gerald Erasmus, played a pivotal role in his team’s victory, scoring a half-century. He showcased an impressive display of batting, striking 8 fours and 2 sixes in just 56 balls before being caught by Karan KC off the bowling of Kushal Bhurtel.
Despite losing two early wickets, Erasmus, along with Mikel Van, built a solid partnership of 52 runs for the third wicket. Bhan contributed 31 runs before being dismissed by Kushal Malla. JJ Smith and Ruben Trumpelmamn then steered Namibia to victory, with Smith remaining unbeaten on 34 runs from 66 balls.
In the bowling department, Kushal Bhurtel of Nepal stood out, claiming three crucial wickets, while Kushal Malla, Rohit Paudel, Dipendra Singh Airee, and Lalit Rajbanshi each took one wicket.
Earlier in the match, after winning the toss and electing to field, Namibia restricted Nepal to 168 runs in 37.1 overs. Aasif Sheikh provided a glimmer of hope for Nepal with a well-fought half-century, but the rest of the batting lineup struggled to make an impact.
Nepal’s innings got off to a shaky start, with four batsmen, including captain Rohit Paudel, failing to open their account. Aasif’s valiant effort of 58 runs off 64 balls, which included 8 fours and 1 six, was a highlight of Nepal’s innings.
Despite contributions from Kushal Bhurtel (18 runs) and Kushal Malla (26 runs), Nepal failed to build significant partnerships and lost wickets at regular intervals.
Bernard Scholz and Jan Nicol starred with the ball for Namibia, each claiming 4 wickets. Scholz bowled exceptionally well, conceding just 31 runs in his 10 overs, while Nicol picked up 4 wickets for 34 runs in 6.1 overs.
The series will conclude with Nepal facing the Netherlands once again on Falgun 13 (Fe 25).
