Nepal beat Malaysia, keep Asia Cup Qualifiers hopes alive

Nepal’s Dipendra Singh Airee celebrates after scoring a half century against Malaysia during their Asia Cup
Qualifiers match in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, September 1, 2018. Photo: THT

Kathmandu, September 1

Nepal national cricket team defeated hosts Malaysia by 19 runs in their third match of the Asia Cup Qualifiers at the Bayuemas Oval in Kuala Lumpur today.

Put into bat first in the match which was reduced to 30-over-a-side due to rain, Nepal recovered from a precarious position of 60-5 to post 188-7. In reply, the hosts managed 169-9.

Nepal failed to make desired start with the bat. Opener Subash Khakurel (nine) was dismissed with just 18 runs on the board, while vice-captain Gyanendra Malla (11) was the next to go. Skipper Paras Khadka (13) also failed to stay for long at the crease, while another opener Anil Kumar Sah (16) could not convert his start into meaningful knock.

When Sagar Pun was out for a golden duck in the 13th over, Nepal were reeling at 60-5. Dipendra Singh Airee and Aarif Sheikh revived Nepal’s innings with 99-run partnership for the sixth wicket before Malaysia struck twice in two balls. Airee, who scored 54 off 51 balls hitting six fours and a six, was bowled by Syazrul Idrus in the third ball of the 28th over, while Sompal Kami was caught by Anwar Arudin off the same bowler in the next delivery.

Sheikh and Basant Regmi (six) then added valuable 27 runs for the unbroken eighth wicket. Sheikh top scored for Nepal with an unbeaten 64 off just 48 balls that included five boundaries and two sixes. Syazrul Idrus and Sharvin Muniandy shared six wickets between them for Malaysia, while Muhammad Anwar claimed one.

In reply, Malaysia were nicely placed at 113-3 in 21 overs and they needed 68 runs from 54 balls with seven wickets in hand. But Nepali bowlers hit back to turn the match into their favour.

Sompal Kami made the first breakthrough in the last ball of the third over when he had opener Shafiq Sharif (nine) caught behind by Khakurel. Anwar Arudin and skipper Ahmed Faiz (22) added 40 runs for the second wicket before the latter was caught by Nepal skipper Khadka off Basant Regmi.

Sagar Pun bowled Arudin, who struck three fours and two sixes in his 40-ball 32, to reduce Malaysia to 82-3 in 16 overs, before Virandeep Singh and Syed Aziz added 32 runs for the fourth wicket to put Malaysia on right track. Regmi bowled Singh (21), while Dipendra Singh Airee had Aziz (34) stumped by Khakurel to reduce the hosts to 131-5.

At that time, Malaysia needed 58 runs from 45 balls with five wickets in hand. After Muhammad Syahadat and Muniandy added 20 runs, Sandeep Lamichhane struck twice in the 27th over to put them under pressure. Lamichhane had Syahadat (16) stumped by Khakurel in the second ball and two balls later he had Syazrul Idrus caught by Sompal Kami for a duck. Kami then ended Malaysia’s remaining hopes when he clean bowled Muhammad Anwar for a duck before Regmi accounted for Muniandy (10) in the last ball of the 29th over.

Suharril Fetri (seven) and Pavandeep Singh (one) added five runs in the final over only to reduce the margin. Regmi was the pick of the Nepali bowlers taking 3-36 from six overs, and he was ably supported by Sompal Kami (2-39) and Sandeep Lamichhane (2-20). Sagar Pun and an-of-the-match Dipendra Singh Airee also took one wicket each.

In other matches, Oman hammered Singapore by eight wickets, while Hong Kong routed the United Arab Emirates by 182 runs. Batting first, Singapore scored 215/8 before Oman raced to 216-2 in 26.4 overs. In another match, Hong Kong posted 275-8 riding on centuries from skipper Anshuman Rath and Babar Hayat, before packing the UAE for a paltry 93 runs.

After the completion of third round, Nepal are at the fifth position in the six-team table with two points, tied with Malaysia but behind Malaysia on inferior run rate. Oman are at the top position with six points after their third consecutive victory, while Hong Kong and the UAE have four points each.

Nepal’s progress, however, depends on the results of other teams’ matches if they win the remaining two matches. Nepal will face Singapore on Monday and take on Hong Kong on Wednesday. Top two teams after the league round will make it to the final, while the champions will earn a place in the Asia Cup, slated for September 15-28 in the UAE.

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