Nepal hammered Oman by 150 runs for their third win in four matches in the ICC U-19 World Cup Asia Qualifier in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday yet their hopes of making it to the tournament proper hangs in balance.

Put into bat first at the Selangor Turf Club ground in Malaysia, Nepal were bowled out for 229 in 43.2 overs. In reply, Oman could only score 79 all out in 44.1 overs. The result meant Nepal stay second in the six-team tournament, two points behind table-topper the United Arab Emirates. Also on Tuesday, the UAE beat Singapore by nine wickets for their fourth win in as many games.

Nepal’s hopes of making eighth appearance in the ICC U-19 global showpiece was dented on April 3 when they lost to the UAE by one run under Duckworth-Lewis method in a rain-curtailed match. Going by the form book ahead of Thursday’s  final round games it would be extremely difficult for Oman to beat the UAE, the only way Nepal can sneak into the top of the table provided they themselves manage to win against Kuwait the same day.

Only the table-topper from Asia Qualifier will earn a ticket to the 2020 U-19 World Cup in South Africa. The winners of the Asia Qualifier will join Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, the West Indies and Zimbabwe in the tournament next January  and February.

Nepal skipper Rohit Kumar Paudel, who struck 95 runs in their win over Singapore on April 12, once again bailed out Nepal from early trouble. Paudel walked in with Nepal reeling at 33-2 by the ninth over after cheap dismissal of openers Rit Gautam (10) and Pawan Sarraf (5) but only returned to pavilion with his team in good position at 173-6 in the 35th over.

While Avishek Basnet (15), Sundeep Jora (4) and Hari Chauhan (2) failed to put on notable stand with their skipper. Paudel, however, found a much required ally in Bhim Sharki as the duo put on 92-run stand for the sixth wicket. Man-of-the-match Paudel clobbered five boundaries and two sixes in his 81-ball 75 while Sharki scored 39 off 43 deliveries with two fours and a six.

A late cameo from Pratis GC then helped propelled Nepal total as the tailender struck 41 off 23 balls with four sixes and two boundaries. Muzahir Raza, Sanjay Ravindra, Azam Ali and Jeel Tanna took two wickets each for Oman.

Oman appeared to be heading for an embarrassing total until tailenders Amanpreet Sirah and Jeel Tanna batted doggedly to give some respectability to their total. Eight top order Oman batsmen all failed to reach double figures before Sirah and Tanna scored 13 runs each. While Sirah hit one six and a four in his 45-ball innings, Tanna consumed 53 deliveries in his unbeaten knock.

Sarraf was pick of the Nepali bowlers with figures of 3-24 from 10 overs.  Pratis GC and Surya Tamang also bagged two wickets each for the winning team.

Summary

Nepal 229 in 43.2 overs (RK Paudel 75, Pratis GC 41, B Sharki 39; M Raza 2-34, S Ravindra 2-41) beat Oman 79 in 44.1 overs (A Sirah 13, J Tanna 13*; P Sarraf 3-24, Pratis GC 2-13, S Tamang 2-11) by 150 runs Man-of-the-match: RK Paudel