KATHMANDU, JULY 4
Nepal faced a two-wicket defeat at the hands of Ireland in the seventh-place playoff match of the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier at the Takashinga Sports Club in Harare today.
Nepal recovered from 169- 7 to post a challenging total of 268-9 in their allotted 50 overs. Nepal then put up a brave fight against the Test nation reducing them to 134-5 but Ireland reached 269-8 with four balls remaining.
The loss meant Nepal finished eighth in the Qualifiers behind Super Six teams and Ireland, who came seventh.
Invited to bat first, Nepal made slow start scoring 27 runs in eight overs before Ireland struck in the first ball of the ninth over removing Kushal Bhurtel (eight). Former skipper Gyanendra Malla failed to justify his selection for the second match in a row after he departed for seven runs. Opener Arjun Saud and skipper Rohit Paudel added 50 runs for the third wicket to take the team total closer to three digits.
Curtis Campher removed Paudel for 35-ball 29 that included two fours and a six, while Gareth Delany trapped Saud leg before the wicket as Nepal lost two important wickets in the space of nine runs. Saud scored 48 off 84 balls with the help of three boundaries and two sixes.
Bhim Sharki and Kushal Malla revived the innings with a 59-run partnership for the fifth wicket but again Nepal lost three quick wickets in the space of just seven runs. Malla struck five boundaries and two sixes in his 38-ball 44, while Sharki scored 20 runs and Dipendra Singh Airee was dismissed for a duck.
Sandeep Lamichhane and Gulsan Jha added 80 runs for the eighth wicket to help the team a respectable target.
Jha struck four boundaries and three sixes in his 42-ball 57, while Lamichhane scored 32 off 30 balls hitting three fours and a six.
Mark Adair, Barry McCarthy and Craig Young took two wickets each for Ireland.
Out of the seven bowlers used by Ireland, only George Dockrell could not get a wicket in his five-over spell.
In reply, Karan KC and Kishore Mahato reduced Ireland to 23-2 inside six overs after they accounted for opener Andy McBrine (17) and skipper Andy Balbirnie (one) respectively in the space of two runs. Gulsan Jha claimed the wicket of Paul Sterling (15) in the 12th over as Ireland came under pressure at 60-3.
Harry Tector and Lorcan Tucket built the innings with a 58-run stand for the fourth wicket, while Curtis Campher and George Dockrell took the match away from Nepal after they added 84 runs for the sixth wicket.
Campher top scored with 59-ball 62 hitting eight boundaries and a six, while player-of-the-match Tector struck four boundaries and two sixes in his 60 off 76 balls. Tucker chipped in 22- ball 24.
Dockrell hit two fours and a six in his 47-ball 33, while Mard Adair scored 17-ball 18. Gerath Delany remained unbeaten on 16 off 25 balls, while Barry McCarthy (four) hit the winning boundary off Jha in the second ball of the final over. Karan KC returned with 4-58 from 10 overs, while Mahato grabbed 2-55. Jha and Lamichhane bagged one wicket each for Nepal.
