New Zealand defeats Nepal by 64 runs

KATHMANDU: Nepal suffered a 64-run defeat against New Zealand in the 2024 Men’s U19 World Cup in South Africa on Sunday.

Batting first after winning the toss, New Zealand scored 302 runs for the loss of eight wickets in the allotted 50 overs. Chasing 303 to win, Nepal folded for 238 runs with the loss of nine wickets.

Although Nepal had restricted New Zealand to 67-3 in 14.3 overs, a 157-run partnership between Reddy and Captain Oscar Jackson took the match away from Nepal. While Snehith Reddy clubbed six sixes and 11 fours to score an unbeaten 147 runs from 125 balls, Jackson hit a half-century, scoring 75 runs from 81 balls. Openers Tom Jones and Luke Watson scored 33 and 14 runs, respectively, while Alex Tompson scored 13 from 14 balls. Three New Zealand batters were out for a duck.

Subhash Bhandari took three wickets for Nepal, while Gulshan Jha took two. Dipesh Kandel, Tilak Bhandari, and Aakash Tripathi each had a wicket to their names.

Nepal made a poor start in the chase, losing opener Deepak Bohora for a duck with just one run on the board. A fighting 90 by opener Arjun Kumal kept Nepal in the chase even though he lost support on the other end. Captain Dev Khanal scored 36 from 34 runs, while No.9 batter Subash Bhandari scored an unbeaten 33 from 52 balls, and Dipak Bohara chipped in with 15 runs from 27 balls. Akash Chand scored 14, and Tilak Bhandari remained not out at 17 runs from 19 balls.

Mason Clarke took three wickets for New Zealand, while Ewald Schreuder and Oscar Jackson contributed with two wickets each, and Matt Rowe and Zac Cumming had a wicket each to their names.

This is only the third meeting between the U-19 sides of the two countries. Nepal was victorious in the past two meetings.