Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Nepal suffered a narrow two-run defeat (DLS method) against Scotland in the opening match of the ICC World Cricket League (WCL) 2 tri-series, which also includes the US, on Tuesday.
Batting first at the TU International Cricket Ground, Scotland scored 243 runs for the loss of eight wickets. In reply, Nepal, who were given a revised target of 220 in 39 overs after rain interrupted play, could only make 218 for the loss of seven wickets.
Openers George Munsey and Finlay McCreath gave Scotland a good start as the pair added 114 runs for the first wicket. Munsey scored 75 off 62 balls, while McCreath contributed 35 off 62 balls. Although Sandeep Lamichhane removed both openers as well as Brandon McMullen (7) and captain Richie Berrington (5), Michael English and Matthew Cross steadied the innings. English scored an unbeaten 34 off 72 balls, while Cross made 18, and Mark Watt and Michael Leask contributed 24 and 29, respectively.
Lamichhane picked up four wickets for Nepal, while Karan KC and Nandan Yadav claimed two each.
Nepal made a poor start in the chase of the revised target of 220 runs as openers Aasif Sheikh (21) and Binod Bhandari (10) fell cheaply, while Arjun Kumal was out for a duck. Captain Rohit Paudel and vice-captain Dipendra Singh Airee steadied the innings. Paudel scored 32 off 46 balls, while Airee made 55 off 49 balls. However, Aarif Sheikh (3) fell cheaply after the Scottish bowlers removed Paudel and Airee in the space of five balls.
Gulsan Jha, however, kept Nepal in the hunt with an unbeaten 61 off 35 balls. Although Nandan Yadav supported him with eight off 10 balls, Nepal fell short by two runs in the end.
Brad Currie claimed three wickets for Scotland, while Mark Watt picked up two, and Oliver Davidson and Jack Jarvis chipped in with a wicket each.
Scotland take on the US in the next match of the tri-series on Thursday.
