Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Nepal has secured a spot in the final of the ACC Men’s Premier Cup 2023 as the group topper after its semifinal match with Kuwait was washed out at the TU International Cricket Stadium in Kathmandu on Saturday.
Invited to bat first after losing the toss, Nepal managed to score 281 runs losing nine wickets in 42 overs. Captain Rohit Poudel made an impressive 94 runs from 95 balls, while Kushal Malla contributed 57 runs from 44 balls after Nepal was reduced to 80/3 despite adding 77 runs for the first wicket.
Captain Poudel and Malla managed to steady the ship for Nepal. When rain interrupted play, Nepal was at 141/3. The match was eventually
Mohammad Aslam and Adnan Idrees each took two wickets, while Yasin Patel and Shahrukh Quddus contributed with one wicket each to put pressure on Nepal during the match.
Kuwait had the daunting task of chasing down 282 runs to win in 42 overs to book a spot in the final. But they were struggling at 37/5 in 8.3 overs when rain interrupted the play. Opener Adnan was dismissed for a duck in the very first over. The rest of the Kuwaiti batsmen were unable to handle the pace of Karan KC. Karan took five wickets giving just 10 runs in 4.3 overs before the rain came down. Sompal Kami also contributed with one wicket for Nepal.
UAE progresses to final
In the other semi-final match, UAE defeated Oman by 2 runs (DLS method) to book its place in the final. UAE will now face Nepal in the final to be played at the TU International Cricket Ground on Monday.
Batting first, UAE managed to score 236 runs losing all wickets in 49.2 overs. Oman was at 190 runs, losing six wickets in 43 overs before the rain interrupted the play.
UAE made a solid start, adding 62 runs for the first wicket in 10.2 overs. Most of the UAE batsmen got good starts but failed to convert them into bigger scores. Captain Mohammad Waseem scored 48 runs from 31 balls, while Rameez Shahzad contributed 46 runs from 58 balls. Asif Khan and Basil Hameed also chipped in with 34 runs each.
Bilal Khan and Zeeshan Maqsood were the standout bowlers for UAE, each taking four wickets, while Ayaan Khan contributed with two wickets.
Chasing 237 runs to secure its spot in the final, Oman got off to a good start, adding 79 runs for the first wicket in 15.3 overs. Although Oman kept losing wickets at regular intervals, they seemed to be on track to chase down the target. However, they were two runs behind the DLS par score when covers were brought in due to rain at the Mulpani Cricket Ground which was hosting its first official ODI.
