In a thrilling showdown marking the finale of the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2, Nepal tasted defeat at the hands of Netherlands, who clinched their second victory in the series with eight wickets to spare.
Netherlands’ triumph not only secured them two crucial points but also elevated their tally to four points from four matches, aligning with two wins. Meanwhile, Nepal finds itself lagging behind with just two points in the same number of matches. The current leaderboard sees Namibia leading the pack with an impressive six points garnered from three wins in four matches.
Reflecting on the rollercoaster journey of Nepal in the league, the team faced an early setback, succumbing to Namibia by four wickets in the opening match.
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However, they bounced back triumphantly, stunning Netherlands with a nine-wicket victory in the subsequent clash. Yet, their fortunes took a downturn once more as they suffered defeat to Namibia by two wickets, followed by a tough loss to Netherlands by eight wickets.
Despite a valiant effort by opener Kushal Bhurtel, who notched up a commendable half-century, Nepal’s innings could only muster a total of 172 runs before being bundled out. Netherlands, in response, chased down the target of 173 runs with ease, losing only two wickets in the process. The heroics of Vikramjit Singh, who crafted a crucial half-century, propelled Netherlands to victory.
In the nail-biting encounter, Netherlands’ openers, Max O’Dowd and Michiel Lees, set the stage on fire with a solid start, stitching together a partnership of 61 runs for the first wicket. Vikramjit Singh and Seb Braun further consolidated their position with a stellar century partnership, ensuring the win for their side.
While Deepender Singh Airee and Lalit Rajbanshi made notable contributions with the ball for Nepal, the team’s batting lineup struggled to maintain momentum. Aarif Sheikh and Karan KC’s partnership provided a glimmer of hope, but the pressure mounted as wickets fell rapidly.
In a bid to turn the tide, Nepal’s coach Monty Desai shuffled the batting order, reinstating Asif Sheikh and Gulshan Jha into the lineup. However, despite their efforts, the team fell short of their target, succumbing to Netherlands’ formidable bowling attack, spearheaded by Aryan Datt and Vivian Kingma.
