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Kuwait defeated Jersey in a final-over thriller at the Kinrara Oval in Kuala Lumpur in the replay of the rain-abandoned fixture on Sunday

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Sep-2011
Scorecard
Saad Khalid picked up three wickets as Kuwait squeezed past Jersey in Kuala Lumpur•ICC/Peter Lim

Kuwait defeated Jersey in a final-over thriller at the Kinrara Oval in Kuala Lumpur in the replay of the rain-abandoned fixture on Sunday. Rain intruded on the second attempt as well, a heavy downfall delaying the start, but the clouds cleared in time for a 39-over match which began at 1.45pm.After being put in to bat by Kuwait, Jersey’s top order struggled and they were three down by the 15th over, Abdullah Akhunzada, Saad Khalid and Mohammed Naseer sharing the spoils. It was then up to captain Peter Gough and Corey Bisson to stabilize the Jersey innings, both men scoring half-centuries.Bisson departed on 54, run out by wicketkeeper Sharjeel Tahir after being called through for a tight single. Gough anchored the team’s innings until the 33rd over when he was caught by Mohammad Amin, while the rest of the Jersey side failed to sparkle with the bat. In contrast, Kuwait’s fast bowler Saad and legbreak bowler Akhunzada both had good games, taking three wickets each to leave their side chasing 157 for victory.Kuwait’s batsmen started the chase brightly in the afternoon sunshine, openers Irfan Bhatti and Aamir Javed adding 55 before Bhatti was bowled by Ben Stevens with the final delivery of the 10th over. The innings lost its course thereafter, Jersey chipping away to reduce Kuwait to 128 for 6 in the 28th over.With Ben Stevens dismissing Mohammad Amin and Akhunzada in the space of an over as Kuwait slipped to 140 for 9, the match built to a thrilling conclusion. No. 11 Azmatullah Nazeer smashed a huge six to bring the target down to six runs off nine balls, adding to that a couple of quick singles to leave the last pair needing four runs off the last over to give Kuwait victory. The winning runs were cracked with just three balls to spare.”I thought we performed superbly in the field today and Ben Stevens did really well to work his way through the Kuwait batting line-up,” said Jersey captain Gough. “Corey Bisson and myself did well batting today, but I know we have the strength in our top order in Sam de la Haye, Dean Morrison and Ben that we will bounce back as a batting unit and perform better tomorrow.”We really pushed Kuwait and we just need another good day to get ourselves our first win, both of these first two matches have been tight and we’ve shown we’ve got the skills we just need to finish these games off with victory now.””I think as a team we’re still getting used to the conditions here in Malaysia and we needed some time to bed into the tournament,” added Kuwait coach Basil Jayawardene. “Jersey definitely tested us as a side today but we managed to finish the game and seal the win with three balls to spare.”

A number of IPL franchises have questioned whether the BCCI respects the rights of all the league’s stakeholders after the board ejected Punjab and Rajasthan from the IPL

Tariq Engineer10-Oct-2010A number of IPL franchises have questioned whether the BCCI respects the rights of all the league’s stakeholders, with Vijay Mallya asking if the teams are merely slaves, following the board’s decision to suddenly terminate two of the teams – Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab – on Sunday.”I wonder if the franchisees are serious stakeholders whose investments and participation are respected, or are they slaves who only come and play.” Mallya, who owns the Royals Challengers Bangalore, asked on Twitter.Raj Kundra, part-owner of Rajasthan Royals, questioned whether there the IPL will even be played next year if the board continues to treat the teams so callously. “I am still not sure why our contract has been terminated,” he told news channel . “I am mulling legal options but I am not sure whether we can have IPL 4 if teams are treated like this.”If a case is filed, it could force the league to postpone the player auction, currently scheduled to be held in November, something that worries a number of the remaining teams. “This will affect all the franchises,” another team official told ESPNcricinfo. “It adds to the uncertainty, which is bad for business.”An official with the Punjab franchise, however, said they were not considering legal options at the moment and expressed hope of resolving the situation with the BCCI. “We are in shock. It came out of the blue, it was absolutely unexpected.”Sidhartha Mallya endorsed his father’s comments, saying that the teams are the main shareholders in the league. He said that just like the UB group, India’s largest alcoholic beverages company which is owned by his family, has obligations to its shareholders, the league has certain obligations to the franchises that have been ‘terminated.’ Sidhartha Mallya said Sunday’s decision had led him to “question whether we are being looked after at the level we should be.”Shane Warne, who led Rajasthan to victory in the augural IPL, called the decision a big shock on Twitter, and hoped that the BCCI would come to its senses. Former IPL chairman Lalit Modi, who is fighting his own battle with the board, said that the teams are what makes the league and what has happened “is something that will only harm the image of the IPL and BCCI.”Abhijit Sarkar, spokesperson for the Sahara Warriors, one of the two new teams in the league along with Kochi, said that the franchise had no comment to make on the legal issues. Sarkar said, “We are newcomers in IPL and have been busy with getting our team ready. Our primary concerns are the player auction and the player retention.”Franchises are now anxious about the legal ramifications of scrapping two out of the IPL’s eight original franchises. An IPL team official said, “The legal domain is a very tricky one. What happens if the auction is stayed by the court? This could jeopardise the IPL itself.” The BCCI’s statement about the termination said the decision had been arrived it based on “legal opinions obtained” about Rajasthan and Punjab. The ‘legal opinion’, IPL frachise believed was not necessarily a switft conclusion to the controversy. He said, “Legal opinion also advised the BCCI to file charges against Jagmohan Dalmiya and how did that go?”The IPL governing council ejected Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab from the league on charges of transgression of shareholding and ownership norms at its emergency meeting earlier today.

His 4-37 helps bowl home side out for 255 before Notts enforce the follow-on

ECB Reporters Network18-Sep-2024Kent were once again fighting to save a match in the Vitality County Championship, reaching 85 for no wicket in their second innings against Nottinghamshire at Canterbury, still 123 behind at stumps on day two.Tawanda Muyeye was unbeaten on 55 and Ben Compton was 22 not out when bad light stopped play with seven scheduled overs remaining.Notts were all out for 433 early during the morning session, Nathan Gilchrist finishing with 4 for 101, but Farhan Ahmed then claimed 4 for 37 as Kent were dismissed for 225 in their first innings.Joey Evison was the highest scorer, hitting 76 against his former side, while the second-biggest contribution came from the extras column with 43.Kent were forced to follow on and the seven bonus points the visitors have stockpiled mean that even if the hosts pull off an improbable win here, Notts would need just a single point from their final fixture next week at home to Warwickshire to ensure Kent go down – and if Lancashire beat Somerset, Kent will be relegated regardless of what happens on the final two days.The visitors began day two on 393 for 6 and Luke Fletcher had moved to 22 when he played an elaborate leave shot against George Garrett, who clipped a bail.Rob Lord survived a strong first-ball appeal for caught behind but was lbw in the next over to Nathan Gilchrist, who then sent Ahmed’s off stump cartwheeling for 2.Dane Schadendorf was the last man to go when he holed out to Akeem Jordan and was taken by Daniel Bell-Drummond, who sprinted to long off.Kent’s reply was just five balls old when Compton was adjudged lbw to Fletcher for four and Muyeye went for 10 when he flicked Fletcher to Lord on the square leg boundary.It was 60 for 2 at lunch and Bell-Drummond went soon after, caught by Schadendorf off Lyndon James for 28.Joe Denly edged Lord to Schadendorf for 5 and it nearly got worse for Kent when Freddie McCann put down Evison when he was one after he’d edged James.Jack Leaning went for 26, trying to fend off a short ball from Lord that he gloved to Schadendorf.Ahmed took a wicket with his first ball, getting Harry Finch caught at short leg by Jack Haynes and at that point the game looked like it might be over in two days, let alone three but Jordan made a game 23 in a partnership of 63 with Evison before he was lbw to Ahmed.Ahmed then got Parkinson for a 28-ball duck after a sharp catch at short leg by McCann and an already interminable-seeming afternoon session was prolonged when Jacob Duffy bowled Nathan Gilchrist for four with last scheduled ball before tea.Evison eventually holed out to Ahmed and was caught by Ben Slater on the deep cover boundary, forcing Kent were forced to follow on for the sixth time this season, but not for the first time this campaign they made a better fist of it second time around.Muyeye sped to 50 from 49 balls but with the light deteriorating, play was abandoned at 6.06pm.

“The many times I have played in India, we have enjoyed the pressure and crowds there because it gives you motivation and conditions in India suit us”

PTI and ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jul-2023Former Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq has advocated for his country’s team be allowed to compete in the ODI World Cup in India and said that not sending the side for the mega event will be “depriving people” of the opportunity to see the arch-rivals clash on the biggest stage.”When there can be contacts between the two countries in other sports, why not in cricket,” Misbah said at a function in Karachi. “Why link cricket with political relations? It is unfair to deprive people of a chance to see their teams play against each other.”It is great injustice to the fans who follow Pakistan and Indian cricket a lot.”Related

• Pakistan vs India set for September 2 in Kandy in Asia Cup

• Pakistan PM sets up high-profile committee to take call on ODI World Cup trip

• Four Asia Cup matches in Pakistan; remaining nine in Sri Lanka

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) recently conveyed to the ICC and the BCCI that the national team’s participation in the World Cup in October-November this year is subject to government clearance due to the tense relations between the two countries.India have refused to play their Asia Cup matches in Pakistan owing to geopolitical tensions, and after months of speculation around it, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) announced that the event will be staged in a hybrid model with four games in Pakistan and nine in Sri Lanka (neutral venue) from August 31 to September 17.Misbah felt it was time Pakistan should go to India and the Indian team should also come to Pakistan to play matches.”Certainly, Pakistan should be playing in the World Cup even in India,” he said. “The many times I have played in India, we have enjoyed the pressure and crowds there because it gives you motivation and conditions in India suit us. Our team has the capability to do well in Indian conditions.”Pakistan’s league stage matches at the 2023 ODI World Cup•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Misbah also advised the players to just focus on the cricket and winning the World Cup.”What is happening outside their sphere, they should not think about it,” he said. “The key to doing well in the World Cup in India is to get the playing XIs right at particular venues and against particular opposition.”During a media round-table on Friday, ICC chair Greg Barclay had said that all ten participating teams will “turn up” for the World Cup that begins on October 5 and will run until November 19. “We are expecting as per the terms of the participation agreement that all teams will turn up for all events. Nothing to suggest otherwise that it won’t be the case at the World Cup later this year.”Misbah’s former team-mate and captain Shahid Afridi too felt Pakistan must travel to India for the World Cup.”There is pressure but the fun is also [playing under] that pressure,” he said. “People are saying we should not go to India and boycott [the World Cup] but I am totally against that. Pakistan should go to India and win the World Cup.”

Clarke, Moores combine to seal tight four-wicket win at Trent Bridge

ECB Reporters Network27-May-2022A half-century from Joe Clarke and 47 by Tom Moores saw Notts Outlaws launch their Vitality Blast campaign with a tight four-wicket win over Worcestershire Rapids at Trent Bridge.Seamer Luke Fletcher took a career-best five for 32 as the Rapids were restricted to 164 for nine in their 20 overs, before Clarke hit 52 from 34 balls and Moores clubbed three sixes in his 31-ball assault before Calvin Harrison hit the winning boundary with just two balls to spare.New Zealand big hitter Colin Munro, who spent the 2014 and 2015 seasons at New Road, began his third Blast campaign with the Rapids with 66 off 43 balls – his highest score in their colours.Otherwise, it had looked like a below-par display by the visitors after being asked to bat first, with Ben Cox’s 20 the next highest score, but with two wickets each from Brett D’Oliveira and Yorkshire loanee Matthew Waite the finish was closer than anticipated.Fletcher’s five-wicket haul came after his first three balls of the night had gone for four, six and six at the hands of Ed Pollock. Former England pace bowler Jake Ball, in his first match since last July after recovering from a stress fracture in the back, took two for 24 and skipper Dan Christian two for 22.Worcestershire had 56 runs on the board from their powerplay but lost a third wicket to the last delivery when a slow bouncer from Ball deceived Jack Haynes, who shaped to cut and succeeded only in nicking a catch to ‘keeper Moores. It meant that a dropped catch in the same over, when Haynes was put down at deep point, had cost only one run.The other casualties were Pollock, who attacked Fletcher in characteristic style with four-six-six as the Outlaws stalwart struggled to get his length right, only to hit a low full-toss straight into the hands of Alex Hales at mid-on. D’Oliveira was caught behind off Dan Christian in an attempted scoop.Rapids were 86 for three at halfway. Munro pulled six and cut for four off consecutive balls of Calvin Harrison’s leg spin and after Jake Libby skied Christian to mid-off a lot seemed to rest on the shoulders of the Kiwi.A big chance went begging when Moores missed a good stumping chance off Matt Carter when Munro was on 66, but in the event the error cost nothing as Munro top-edged a slow bouncer from Fletcher and was well caught at short third man, having hit seven fours and two sixes.Cox pinged a six over midwicket in the same over but fell two balls later attempting the same shot as the innings ended badly for the Rapids, who lost five wickets in the last four overs while adding only 28 runs, with Fletcher picking up two more in the final over.After the Outlaws lost Hales cheaply, Ben Duckett cleared the legside boundary twice in his 29 from 14 balls but after nonchalantly lofting the second of those sixes was caught at square leg attempting a repeat, rather throwing away the chance of a big score.At 66 for 2 from the powerplay, Notts were ahead, although they lost Samit Patel for four and Clarke too might feel he should have had more, going after D’Oliveira’s leg spin with fewer than 50 required in the 13th over and paying the price.A bad drop by Haynes at long on off D’Oliveira let Moores escape on 28 and though Moores and Steven Mullaney holed out off Matthew Waite in the penultimate over as the home side threatened to wobble at the death, Harrison found the boundary off Charlie Morris to see them home.

Seamer has recovered from groin strain that ruled him out of Boxing Day Test

Firdose Moonda28-Dec-2020Kagiso Rabada has been added to South Africa’s squad after recovering from a groin strain that saw him miss the Boxing Day Test. Rabada was set to enter the biosecure environment before the start of the second session on Monday after clearing all Covid-19 protocols.Rabada’s inclusion means that South Africa have a handy stock of seamers ahead of the New Year’s Test which includes the four currently playing in this match – Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje and Lutho Sipamla and allrounder Wiaan Mulder – as well as three reserves, Glenton Stuurnman, Migael Pretorius and allrounder Dwaine Pretorius.Stuurman was expected to debut at SuperSport Park but is carrying a niggle and has been seen doing shuttles at the ground post-play.Dwaine Pretorius came into this series having recovered from a hamstring injury that kept him out of the white-ball series against England, which started in November, but has been bowling during this Test while Pretorius was added as cover.Adding Rabada to an already pace-packed squad may be an indication that South Africa are considering going into the second Test without a spinner, which is a possibility given that conditions are expected to be spicy and Sri Lanka are without one of the frontline batsmen, Dhananjaya de Silva, who was ruled out of the series with a quad muscle tear.Rabada has not played a red-ball match since January, when he featured in the third Test against England in Port Elizabeth. He was banned from the final match at the Wanderers after an accumulation of demerit points which makes the last time he played a Test at his home ground in January 2019, against Pakistan.

The India pacer had been charged with attempt to murder and cruelty by his wife, Hasin Jahan, last March

Nagraj Gollapudi03-Sep-2019A West Bengal court has issued an arrest warrant against Mohammed Shami in a case of domestic violence, filed by his wife Hasin Jahan. Shami, who turned 29 today, has been asked by the court to surrender within 15 days of his return from the West Indies.In March last year, Jahan had filed criminal charges against Shami, including attempt to murder, cruelty, and violence.The chargesheet had been filed under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code – relating to a woman being subjected to cruelty by her husband or his family – by the detective branch of Kolkata Police this March.According to Salim Rahman, Shami’s lawyer, the chargesheet did not contain any of the serious criminal offences Jahan had pressed against the player and his family. Rahman said Shami was among the various people who deposed before the police finalised the chargesheet.”The police chargesheet says there was no attempt to murder, no poisoning – all serious charges filed by Hasin Jahan,” Rahman said. “Also the allegations against (Jahan’s) mother-in-law, father-in-law and sister-in-law of conspiring against her were discharged [dismissed] by the police.”Jahan’s lawyer Anirban Guha Thakurta said the onus was now on Shami to fight the charge or choose not to. “It’s in the court notice that Shami is playing abroad and so it was giving him a 15-day window to surrender,” Guha Thakurta was quoted as saying by the . “It is written in the court order that if he fails to appear, then law will take its own course. The warrant against Shami would be kept in abeyance for 15 days.”Rahman said that the arrest warrant would come into play subject to Shami opting to challenge the court’s order. “The court issued a warrant against Shami saying he would need to surrender 15 days upon returning to India. The warrant will come into effect only if Shami does not take a legal recourse (challenging the order).”The case is unlikely to affect Shami’s professional career at the moment. The BCCI is believed to be treating it as a domestic matter and will wait for the final court order.

It took India 17 balls on the final morning to take the last wicket and wrap up their seventh Test win in England

Sidharth Monga22-Aug-2018It took India 17 balls on the final morning to take the last wicket and wrap up their seventh Test win in England, an utter domination of the hosts from the moment India were inserted on day one. The win also made Virat Kohli India’s second-most successful captain in Tests, behind only MS Dhoni now.It ended with a carrom ball that bounced unexpectedly and took the top edge from James Anderson’s bat. India got the other 19 wickets through pace. This would have been only the second time India would have taken all 20 through pace, following closely on the feat they first achieved in Johannesburg earlier this year. The win came in similar circumstances: India two down in the series, their batting under the scanner, and on both occasions the batsmen stepped up to give their bowlers something to bowl at. And how the bowlers responded. Hardik Pandya took a five-for in the space of 29 balls in the first innings, and then Jasprit Bumrah laid to waste the hard work done by Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes in the second with a spell of high pace and control.

Mumbai Indians clinched their third IPL title in a pulsating last-ball finish, defending 129 to beat Rising Pune Supergiant by one run

The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy21-May-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details2:49

Agarkar: Pune’s over-cautious approach cost them the IPL

This was, barring a WWE-style rebirth, Rising Pune Supergiant’s last ever IPL game. They made sure it went the distance, all the way to the last ball, despite keeping Mumbai Indians down to the lowest first-innings total in an IPL final.Somehow, Pune managed to drag a chase of 130 to the last ball.The first ever IPL final had come down to the last ball too. Then, nine years ago, Sohail Tanvir pulled L Balaji for a single to win it for Rajasthan Royals.Now, Mitchell Johnson bowled to Daniel Christian with Pune needing four to win. Bowling from around the wicket, Johnson went full and straight. Christian whipped it away to the left of deep square leg. J Suchith, the substitute fielder, fumbled at the boundary, allowing a second run. That wouldn’t do for Pune. They needed four to win, and three to tie.The batsmen chased a desperate third with Suchith’s throw almost already in Parthiv Patel’s gloves. Once Parthiv collected it safely, only one result was possible. Mumbai Indians, playing their fourth final, wrapped up their third title, winning by one run.Krunal Pandya was Mumbai’s hero with the bat, his 38-ball 47 dragging them from 79 for 7 to an eventual 129 for 8, a total that would enable their bowlers to scrap all the way. Then, helped along by Pune’s ODI-style top-order approach, those scrapping bowlers managed to make the required rate creep steadily upwards – with five overs to go, Pune were only two down but needed 47 from 30.Given Mumbai’s death bowling, this was definitely not over. Jasprit Bumrah took out MS Dhoni in the 17th over. Then Lasith Malinga and Bumrah again ensured Pune would only get two boundaries across the 18th and 19th. That left Steven Smith, batting on 51, and Manoj Tiwary 11 to get from the last over.Despite taking a boundary off his first ball, they couldn’t quite do it against Johnson.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Mumbai bat, Mumbai falterSix of the nine previous IPL finals had been won by the team batting first. Perhaps that and how it was difficult to chase in Hyderabad was why Rohit Sharma went against his team’s record this season of eight wins in 11 games while chasing. That too when they only had a 3-2 record while batting first.Perhaps it had something to do with Mumbai’s record against Pune: they had met three times this season, and Pune had won all three times, twice while batting first.It seemed, right through Mumbai’s innings, that they had some mental scars from all those defeats to Pune. A first-ball leave from Lendl Simmons set the tone for a cautious start on a slower-than-usual Hyderabad surface, with only seven coming off the first two overs, against Jaydev Unadkat’s back-of-a-length cutters and Washington Sundar’s flat, stump-to-stump offspin.Then Unadkat dismissed both openers in the third over – a short ball cramping Parthiv Patel’s attempt to pull, a slower ball clipping Simmons’ leading edge and popping back for a diving return catch.Mumbai never really recovered from there, despite Rohit Sharma smacking Lockie Ferguson for four fours in the sixth over. Adam Zampa removed Rohit and Kieron Pollard in the 11th over, and Mumbai were 65 for 5.Krunal gives Mumbai a chanceChristian trapped Hardik Pandya lbw in the 14th, playing across the line, and Karn Sharma was run out in the next over, in most comical manner. Dropped by Christian diving to his left at slip, he ran out of his crease in a panic anyway. It seemed to sum up Mumbai’s state of mind.Krunal, though, seemed to be achieving some clarity of thought. For now, he was simply thinking of extending the innings as far as he could. It took until the 19th over for him to hit his first six, straight back over Unadkat’s head. Then he swiped and slogged Christian for a four and a six in the last over, off which Pune scored 14. Still, their total was 14 short of the previous-lowest first-innings total in an IPL final.That had come in 2009, when Deccan Chargers defended 143.Mitchell Johnson dismissed Steven Smith in the last over to turn the match again•BCCI

Rahane, Smith keep Mumbai in the gameNo team had defended a total of 129 or below since the 2013 season. Mumbai, though, had the bowling to do it. Pune, meanwhile, adopted a keep-wickets-in-hand approach. With Rahul Tripathi lbw in the third over to Bumrah, Smith joined Ajinkya Rahane at the crease. Rahane could have fallen for 14, foxed by a Malinga slower ball, but Krunal failed to hold on to a fairly straightforward chance at short cover.By the time he holed out to long-on in the 12th over, he had made 44 of 38, batting as he would in the longer forms of the game. Smith, playing in the same manner, was batting on 18 off 25 at that point. Given the slowness of the surface and the difficulty new batsmen would face in getting going straightaway, this seemed a questionable approach.As it happened, Dhoni struggled initially, scoring only four off his first nine balls. With Karn Sharma and Krunal getting the ball to grip, and Malinga varying his pace, Pune batted out three boundary-free overs. With 30 balls remaining, they now needed 47.End-overs experts squeeze out PuneA half-controlled square-cut from Dhoni sped between backward point and short third man, and two balls later Smith reverse-swiped Krunal for six. Fourteen came off that over, and Rising Pune seemed to be back on track.Bumrah and Malinga, though, still had three overs to bowl. Bumrah got Dhoni caught behind, denying him width for the cut, and closed out that over, the 17th, with two lbw appeals against Manoj Tiwary, the batsman unable to read his changes of pace and angle, coupled with a hint of reverse.Smith managed to flick Malinga for four in the 18th, in between a string of unhittable yorkers, and launched Bumrah over long-off in the 19th, off the one ball in the over that was pitched short of the blockhole. When Tiwary shuffled across and whipped the first ball of the 20th over to the vacant square-leg boundary – Johnson had just lost an argument with Rohit to station a fielder there – the equation came down to 7 off 5.Surely, that would do it. Johnson, though, hadn’t had his say yet. Looking to hit him over extra-cover, Tiwary was undone by the slower ball, only managing to drag it round to long-on. Then Smith, having crossed over, timed an inside-out slice perfectly, but straight to sweeper cover.With three balls left, Pune needed seven, with two new batsmen at the crease. Washington Sundar brought Christian on strike off the fourth ball, failing to make contact with a wide-ish yorker but managing to scamper a bye. Then Christian, slogging at another full slower one, was dropped by Hardik running forward from deep midwicket – he sprinted a second, and Pune needed four from the last ball.The last ball of Rising Pune Supergiant’s two years in the IPL. It wouldn’t be the last ball they wanted.

Basant Regmi’s returns of 3 for 40 and Sharad Vesawkar’s unbeaten 99-ball 50 helped Nepal seal a five-wicket win over Namibia in the ICC World Cricket League Championship fixture in Kirtipur

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Apr-2016
ScorecardFile photo – Sharad Vesawkar’s patient knock helped Nepal overcome a low chase•Peter Della Penna

Left-arm spinner Basant Regmi’s 3 for 40 and Sharad Vesawkar’s unbeaten 99-ball 50 helped Nepal beat Namibia by five wickets in the ICC World Cricket League Championship fixture in Kirtipur.Namibia’s top five failed to build on their starts after Stephan Baard, the captain, opted to bat. Baard fell in the third over after hitting four fours in his 18, while his opening partner, Zane Green fell soon after, in the seventh over. Pikky Ya France and Gerhard Erasmus gave Namibia some solidity, but Regmi’s quick strikes in the middle overs triggered a collapse; they lost three wickets for seven runs to wobble at 109 for 6.Sarel Burger made a 77-ball 38 from No. 8 to help Namibia cross 150. Although Regmi came back in the end overs to remove Burger, a lower-order cameo from JJ Smit – 26 off 22 balls – helped Namibia post 195 for 9 in 50 overs.Nepal’s openers fell in successive overs after a 42-run opening stand, but Paras Khadka, the captain, drove the chase forward by hitting two fours and a six in his 21. Sarel Burger induced some panic by dismissing Khadka and Raju Rijal to leave Nepal at 90 for 4. When Rajesh Pulami was dismissed, Nepal needed 82 with five wickets in hand. But Namibia were denied by the Vesawkar-Binod Bhandari’s unbeaten 84-run stand that saw them home with 17 balls to spare.