Nepal beat local side Noida Wonders by 40 runs in a friendly cricket match in Greater Noida, India, on Thursday.

The victory comes two days after the touring Nepali team beat Rajwada Cricket Team by 83 runs thanks to 95-run knock from stand-in skipper Gyanendra Malla. Nepal had opened their tour of Noida with 47-run defeat against Rajwada where Malla had struck a century. The friendly games are part of Nepal preparations for the ICC World Cricket League Championship (WCLC) matches against Kenya on home soil on March 11 and 13. Malla is leading Nepal in the absence of regular skipper Paras Khadka who is recuperating after undergoing surgery to the “recurrent appendicitis with intestinal obstruction” recently.

Batting first, Nepal scored 248-5 in 50 overs with all six players without Malla making useful contributions with the bat. In reply, the Wonders could only make 208 in 47.2 overs. Opener Sunil Dhamala top scored for Nepal with 74 runs, his 128-ball knock featured six hits to the fence. Binod Bhandari made unbeaten 32-ball 41, while Rajesh Pulami (30) Aarif Sheikh (28), Aasif Sheikh (22) and Sharad Vesawkar (22) also chipped in significantly to the total. Vikash Mishra took two wickets for the local team.

In reply, Priyag Garg top scored for the Wonders with 57-ball 44 and Shivam Sharma made 38 as the local side folded inside 48 overs. Sompal Kami was pick of the Nepali bowlers with 3-28, while Shakti Gauchan and Sandeep Lamichhane grabbed two wickets apiece.

Nepal are currently in 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. 

Papua New Guinea are second with 12 points. Hong Kong (11), Scotland (11), Kenya (eight) are next in the order. Only Namibia (two) and United Arab Emirates (two) are behind Nepal. Nepal will play Hong Kong and the UAE the Kenya matches as they need to win all their remaining matches to have any realistic chance of reaching the Qualifiers.

Summary

Nepali team 248-5 in 50 overs (S Dhamala 74, B Bhandari 41; V Mishra 2-29, H Sethi 1-20) beat Noida Wonders 208 in 47.2 overs (P Garg 44, S Sharma 38; S Kami 3-28, S Gauchan 2-26, S Lamichhane 2-45) by 40 runs