Nepal: ICC Division

REPUBLICA ONLINE

KATHMANDU, May 2: Skipper Paras Khadka shone with both bat and ball to give Nepal a much-needed win in its third match of ICC World Cricket League Division Three against host Bermuda at St David’s Cricket Club, Wednesday night.

Winning the toss and electing to field first, Nepal skitteld the home team for a meager 106 in 38.2 overs, with Khadka claiming four crucial wickets. In reply, Nepal raced to the winning target of 107, losing two wickets in just 11.2 overs, handing Bermuda an eight-wicket defeat.

In Nepal’s run chase, Khadka smashed a fiery 46 off 27 balls, including four boundaries and three sixes, in an unbroken third wicket stand with his deputy Gyanendra Malla, who hit 34 off 20 balls, with five fours and a six.

Openers Subash Khakurel (6) and Anil Mandal (16) were the two wickets that Nepal lost. Khakurel faced six balls and hit a boundary while Mandal faced 17 balls and smashed two fours. Both of them fell to Bermuda bowler R Trott.

For Bermuda, S Outerbridge topscored with 29, while D Hemp made 16. D stovel and M Jones made equal 15 runs, whereas C Douglas contributed 12 runs. Besides, no other batsmen could make it to the double digits.

The host had a mediocre start and were once in a pretty good position with 73 runs on board with just two wickets down, before losing the remaining eight wickets for another 33 runs.

Apart from Khadka, Basanta Regmi took three wickets to restrict the Caribbean nation to a low score. Chandra Saud, Sanjam Regmi and Shakti Gauchan took one wicket each. Khadka was adjudged man of the match for his brilliant all-round performance.

Nepal was in a must-win situation in today´s match after it  had suffered a 94-run defeat at hands of the USA in the opening match and losing its second match to Uganda by six wickets. Nepal will take on Oman on Thursday night.