Nepal defeats UAE A by three wickets

KATHMANDU: Nepal secured its first victory in the ACC Men’s Emerging Cup 2023, defeating UAE A by three wickets in Colombo on Wednesday.

Batting first after winning the toss, UAE A all out in 44 overs with 157 runs on the board. Nepal chased the target, losing seven wickets with 162 balls to spare.

While UAE A got off to a good start with a 39-run partnership for the first wicket. It, however, lost wickets at regular intervals thereafter and was eventually bundling out for 157 runs. Apart from opener Lovepreet Singh, who scored 52 runs off 82 balls, the other UAE A batsmen failed to contribute significantly with the bat. Six UAE A batsmen failed to reach double digits. Ethan D’Souza scored 18 runs from 25 balls, while Ashwanth Valthapa and Aryansh Sharma chipped in with 16 and 14 runs, respectively.

Kushal Bhurtel was the standout performer among the Nepali bowlers, taking six wickets while conceding 40 runs in his 10-over spell. Mousam Dhakal got two wickets, while Pawan Sarraf and Kushal Malla each took one wicket for Nepal.

Chasing 158 to win, Nepal faced an early setback with opener Arjun Saud dismissed for a golden duck. However, the second-wicket partnership between Kushal Bhurtel and Dev Khanal brought Nepal back on track scoring 98 runs. Bhurtel played an aggressive knock, scoring 71 runs off 43 balls, which included nine fours and four towering sixes. Khanal contributed 24 runs from 38 balls, including four boundaries. After Khanal’s dismissal, Sandeep Jora added a quick-fire 24 runs from 15 balls.

Mohammed Faraazuddin was the most successful bowler for UAE A, taking five wickets in his six-over spell, while Muhammad Jawadullah secured two wickets.

Nepal’s Kushal Bhurtel, who scored 71 runs and took six wickets, was declared the Player of the Match for his outstanding all-round performance.