Stand-in captain Gyanendra Malla struck a magnificent century but could not avert Nepal’s defeat against Rajwada Cricket Team in Greater Noida, India on Sunday.

Playing their first game against the local side as part of their preparation for the ICC World Cricket League Championship (WCLC) matches against Kenya, the touring Nepali team crashed to a 47-run defeat. Rajwada scored 281-7 in 50 overs and Nepal could only make 234 in 47.1 overs. 

Malla, who is leading the Nepal team in the absence of Paras Khadka, fought a lonely battle scoring 104 runs off 125 balls with 10 hits to the fence.

The opener was the eighth Nepali wicket to fall as only Sagar Pun (28) and Binod Bhandari (20) put on some resistance. Mohammad Saffi grabbed four and Naresh Nama took two wickets for Rajwada. Regular Nepal skipper Khadka is recuperating after undergoing surgery to the “recurrent appendicitis with intestinal obstruction” last week in Kathmandu.

Earlier, Rajat Chapparwal and Saffi were key in helping Rajwada post a mammoth total on the board. Chapparwal fell to spinner Sandeep Lamichhane nine runs short of his century after hitting nine boundaries and two sixes, while Saffi was run out after a fiery 32-ball 52. Saffi clobbered four fours and three sixes.

Lamichhane took two, while Sompal Kami and Karan KC claimed one wicket each for Nepal. Nepali team is schedule to play two more games with the local side but the teams are yet to be confirmed.

Nepal take on Kenya at the TU Stadium on March 11 and 13 in their fifth round matches of the WCLC, the gateway to 2019 50-over World Cup qualifiers. Nepal are currently in the sixth place of the eight-team WCLC with six points from eight matches. Top four teams after the home and away round robin league will automatically secure spots in next year’s World Cup Qualifiers.

Netherlands lead the standings with 16 points from 10 games after five rounds, Papua New Guinea are second with 12 points. Hong Kong (11), Scotland (11), Kenya (eight) are next in the order. Behind Nepal are Namibia (two) and the UAE (2).

Nepal will play Hong Kong and the UAE after Kenya games with the team needing to win all matches to have any chance of reaching the Qualifiers.