Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Nepal entered the Super Six stage of the 2024 ICC U-19 World Cup, beating Afghanistan by one wicket in a low-scoring thriller at East London, South Africa, on Friday.
Batting first after winning the toss, Afghanistan scored 145 runs, losing all wickets in 40.1 overs. Nepal scored 149 runs, losing nine wickets with 32 balls to spare, thanks to a fighting half-century by Captain Deve Khanal.
Afghanistan made a poor start with the bat as it lost five wickets in 9.1 overs with just 34 runs on the board. Its top three orders added just three runs. Hassan Eisakhil scored 20 but couldn’t get support from the other end. AM Ghazanfar top-scored for Afghanistan with a 21-ball 37, while Captain Naseer Khan Maroofkhil and Faridoon Dawoodzai contributed 31 and 29 runs, respectively. Other Afghan batters failed to hit double digits, with four going out on duck.
Akash Chand took five wickets to bundle out Afghanistan cheaply, while Dipesh Kandel claimed two, and Glsan Jha, Subash Bhandari, and Tilak Bhandari took one each.
Chasing 146 to secure a spot in the Super Six, Nepal lost opener Arjun Kumal with just 11 runs on the board. Bipin Rawal and Gulsan Jha also fell cheaply. A 49-run partnership between Dev Khanal and Aakash Tripathi resurrected Nepal’s innings. After Aakash fell, Khanal added 36 runs for the seventh wicket with Dipak Bohora. Afghanistan clawed back into the game by taking the wicket of Khanal.
Afghanistan tightened the screws on Nepal when it took the wicket of Aakash Chand when Nepal needed two runs to win. Arab Gul, who bowled the 45th over, bowled his first ball wide, which tied the score. Bhandari faced three subsequent dot balls but hit the next ball to the boundary.
Nepal will play against the winner and second-placed team of Group ‘A’ in the Super Six.
This was Nepal’s first victory of the group stage, having lost its first two matches against New Zealand and Pakistan.
