SATV, Kathmandu, Sept. 7: Nepal maintained their unbeaten record in the ACC Men's Premier Cup after comfortably defeating Saudi Arabia by five wickets at the Bayuemas Cricket Oval in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Sunday.
With a third consecutive victory, Nepal topped Group A with six points to secure a semi-final berth with a match in hand.
Chasing a target of 191 runs, Nepal reached 193 for five in 41 overs. The run chase began on a shaky note as openers Arjun Kumal (15) and Aasif Sheikh (20) fell cheaply, leaving Nepal at 40 for two.
However, a steadying 73-run third-wicket partnership between Dev Khanal (39) and Ishan Pandey (40) put the pursuit back on track.
Gulsan Jha then sealed the win with a brisk, unbeaten 44 off 35 balls, striking three boundaries and three sixes. Former captain Rohit Paudel anchored the other end with a solid 24 not out.
Ishtiaq Ahmad and Muhammad Abdullah Atif were the primary wicket-takers for Saudi Arabia, picking up two wickets apiece.
Earlier, Saudi Arabia won the toss and elected to bat, but were bowled out for 190 in 49.2 overs.
Opener Abdul Wahid top-scored with a resilient 77 off 89 deliveries, featuring 10 fours and two sixes.
After losing opening partner Waji Ul Hassan for a duck, Wahid put on a 94-run stand for the second wicket with Atif, who contributed 30.
Useful contributions from Mohammed Hisham Shaikh (28), Muhammad Saqib (14), Zain Ul Abidin (12), and Ishtiaq Ahmad (10 not out) pushed Saudi Arabia closer to the 200-run mark.
Nepal’s spin-heavy attack delivered a disciplined display, led by Sandeep Lamichhane, who took three for 19 in his 10 overs, including two maidens.
Dipendra Singh Airee also claimed three wickets, while Lalit Rajbanshi grabbed two.
Sher Malla and Jha took a wicket each to round off the innings. Nepal had previously recorded victories over Bahrain and host nation Malaysia in their opening fixtures.
Nepal 'A' lose to NZ 'A'
A splendid century from opener Rhys Mariu guided New Zealand 'A' to a narrow two-wicket victory over Nepal 'A' in their one-day practice match in Darwin, Australia, on Sunday.
Chasing 212, New Zealand 'A' reached 212 for eight in 49.5 overs, anchored by Mariu’s match-winning knock.
Nepal 'A' maintained pressure by taking wickets at regular intervals but failed to break Mariu's resistance.
The opener batted through 46.4 overs to score 137 off 134 balls, clubbing 16 fours and three sixes, before being caught and bowled by Yubaraj Khatri.
Matt Fisher contributed an unbeaten 23 and Muhammad Abbas added 21. Despite only three batsmen reaching double figures, New Zealand 'A' managed to cross the finish line. Rijan Dhakal, Khatri, and Shahab Alam took two wickets each for Nepal 'A'.
Earlier, after winning the toss and electing to bat, Nepal 'A' were bowled out for 211 in 50 overs.
Pawan Sarraf top-scored with 61 off 92 balls, featuring six boundaries, and shared a crucial 69-run fifth-wicket partnership with Lokesh Bam, who made a lively 47 off 64 deliveries with four sixes and a boundary.
Captain Anil Sah contributed 24, while Mayan Yadav chipped in with 20. Fisher was the pick of the New Zealand 'A' bowlers, taking four wickets.
The result marked Nepal 'A’s third consecutive loss on their tour following defeats in both earlier fixtures.
