Himal Press 
Dipendra Singh Airee (left) and Ishan Pandey struck half centuries in the match. Photo: CAN
KATHMANDU: Nepal defeated the US by 122 runs in their final match of the ICC World Cricket League (WCL) 2 tri-series at the TU Cricket Stadium in Kirtipur, Kathmandu, on Friday.
With this, Nepal won three out of four matches of the tri-series, which also included Scotland. The hosts won both matches against the US and one match against Scotland. Nepal, however, lost the first match of the tri-series against Scotland by two runs (DLS method).
Sent in to bat first after losing the toss, Nepal scored 317 runs for the loss of eight wickets as Ishan Pandey and vice-captain Dipendra Singh Airee struck half-centuries. This was Nepal’s highest first-inning total in ODIs. The hosts then restricted the US to 195 runs in 41.2 overs.
The opening pair of Kushal Bhurtel (29) and Aasif Sheikh (43) added 69 runs for Nepal for the first wicket. Ishan Pandey, playing his first WCL 2 tri-series for Nepal, continued his rich form by scoring 84 off 83 balls. He hit eight fours and a six in his industrious innings. Captain Rohit Paudel scored 46 off 59 balls before Airee entertained the crowd with a 36-ball 59. He scored four fours and as many sixes. Gulshan Jha chipped in with 15, while Aarif Sheikh remained unbeaten on 18.
Shubham Ranjane picked up three wickets for the US, while Rushil Ugarkar and Milind Kumar claimed one each.
Chasing 318 to record their second win of the tri-series, the US lost opener Smit Patel for a duck. Although Shayan Jahangir (27), Shehan Jayasuriya (26) and captain Saiteja Mukkamalla (22) all got starts, they failed to convert them into big totals as Nepali spinners strangled the US batters. Sanjay Krishnamurthi scored 56 off 44 balls to give some respectability to the total. Saurabh Netravalkar made 10, while Nosthush Kenjige scored 29.
Sandeep Lamichhane claimed three wickets for Nepal, while Lalit Rajbanshi, Gulshan Jha and Airee picked up two each, and Sompal Kami had a wicket to his name.
Despite the loss, the US are at the top of the WCL 2 table with 38 points from 28 matches. Scotland are second with 38 points from 32 matches. Nepal are fifth with 24 points from 28 matches.
