Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Sandeep Lamichhane claimed four wickets, conceding just 11 runs in his four-over spell, as Nepal defeated Scotland by two wickets in a low-scoring thriller in Glasgow on Tuesday.
Nepal, needing one run off the last two balls, avoided another Super Over as Lamichhane ran a single with a ball to spare to secure a win in the first-ever T20I between the two sides.
Nepal had lost to the Netherlands in a historic third Super Over in its first match of the T20I tri-series on Sunday.
Electing to field first after winning the toss, Nepal restricted Scotland to 97 runs and then chased down the target of 98 with a ball remaining, losing eight wickets.
Nepal’s combination of spin and pace rattled Scotland’s top order, reducing the hosts to 24/5 by the fifth over. Openers George Munsey and Mark Watt were dismissed for 8 and 1, respectively, while Brandon McMullen (10), Liam Naylor (1) and Finlay McCreath (2) failed to make significant contributions with the bat. However, Michael Leask scored a run-a-ball 46, and captain Matthew Cross added 15 off 22 balls to help push Scotland close to the 100-run mark. Safyaan Sharif added six runs, while Jasper Davidson remained not out at four.
Lamichhane claimed four wickets in his four-over spell which included one maiden. Dipendra Singh Airee and Karan KC took two wickets each, while Lalit Rajbanshi chipped in with one.
Nepal wobbled during the chase despite a 30 off 35 balls from opener Kushal Bhurtel. Fellow opener Lokesh Bam (9), Anil Sah (3) and Captain Rohit Paudel (7) were dismissed cheaply. Dipendra Singh Airee (14), Basir Ahamad (13) and Kiran Thagunna (10) also failed to make significant contributions. In the end, Karan KC and Lamichhane ran the winning run with a ball to spare.
Safyaan Sharif and Michael Leask claimed two wickets each for Scotland, while Brandon McMullen, Mark Watt, Jack Jarvis, and Jasper Davidson picked up a wicket apiece.
