Sports
Nepal lose to Namibia by 15 runs
Nepal failed to capitalise on solid platform twice to eventually lose against Namibia by 15 runs in their seventh place playoff match of the ICC U-19 World Cup in Fatullah, Bangladesh on Thursday.Nepal failed to capitalise on solid platform twice to eventually lose against Namibia by 15 runs in their seventh place playoff match of the ICC U-19 World Cup in Fatullah, Bangladesh on Thursday.
Electing to bat first, Namibia were reduced to 113-5 in 32.5 overs but they recovered through Michael van Lingen and Francois Rautenbach to make a challenging 225-8 in the match reduced to 45 overs due to heavy fog at the Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium.
Nepal lost opener Shankar Rana (two) in the third over but a solid stand from Sunil Dhamala and Yogendra Karki had them well placed at 104-1 in 20 overs. But Nepal struggled with the dismissal of Dhamala before the team was packed for 210 in 44.2 overs.
Dhamala, who had the previous best score of 29 (against Bangladesh) in the tournament, forged a 97-run stand for the second with Karki. He made 59 off 63 balls with nine boundaries. From 104-1, Nepal were down to 113-4 in 25.4 after losing Dhamala, skipper Raju Rijal (1) and Karki.
Karki made 35 off 64 with five boundaries. Aarif Sheikh and Dipendra Airee kept Nepal in the game with a 53-run partnership for the fifth wicket but the slide resumed when the former tried a big shot off Burton Jacobs and holed out a catch to Rautenbach for 30. Sheikh made 30 off 46 with two fours.
Nepal’s all hopes wrested on Airee and Prem Tamang, who was yet to be dismissed in the tournament and had the highest score of 65 not out against Pakistan. But Fritz Coetzee did the damage picking up two wickets in a single over, beginning with the
dismissal of Airee in the
first ball.
He removed Rajbir Singh (two) and Tamang could only narrow the defeat margin, hitting 32 off 33 with four boundaries and a six. Tamang was out for the only time in the tournament when he charged van Lingen when Nepal needed 15 runs from five balls with one wicket remaining. Airee scored 31 off 36 with two fours. Van Lingen returned the figures of 4-24 and Coetzee took 3-34.
Earlier, Dhamala struck on the first ball of the day to provide Nepal a dream start. Jurgen Linde (19) and Lohan Louwrens shared 39 runs before Sushil Kandel dismissed the former. Kandel struck again with the dismissal of Zane Green (17).
Namibia were just trying
to build the innings when Tamang bowled Louwrens and Sandeep Lamichhane
got rid of Charl Brits (nine). Louwrens was Namibia’s leading scorer with 59 runs off 96 balls that included five fours and a six.
Rautenbach and van Lingen then rebuilt the innings before cutting lose in the closing stages of the game. The scores could have been even huge for them had not Lamichhane dismissed both set batsmen in consecutive deliveries to get on hat-trick.
Petrus Burger survived the hat-trick delivery. Man-of-the-match Van Lingen made a defining 58 from 36 with four fours and a six, while Rautenbach’s 30-ball 39 included two boundaries and as many sixes.
Lamichhane took 3-35 from nine overs and is currently second leading wicket taker of the tournament with 14 scalps. Coetzee leads the table with 15 wickets.
West Indies to meet India in final
West Indies recorded a three-wicket win over hosts Bangladesh to set up a final against India in the ICC Under-19 World Cup in Dhaka on Thursday. Shamar Springer orchestrated the win with an unbeaten 62 and 2-36 as the young Caribbean side reached 230-7 in 48.4 overs after restricting Bangladesh to 226-9 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium. The final will be held at the same venue on February 14.