Nepal finish League‑2 home series on a high

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, May  6: Nepal ended their ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 home series against the UAE and Oman on a high, registering a commanding 81‑run victory over Oman at TU Cricket Ground on Tuesday. The fixture was the final match of the double‑header triangular series.

The Rhinos collected six points from four matches, moving their tally to 18 points from eight wins in 24 outings. 

Seventh‑placed Nepal are now just three wins away from overtaking sixth‑placed Canada, who have 21 points from nine wins in 24 matches. Securing a top‑six finish is crucial to retain ODI status, while a top‑four berth guarantees direct entry into the World Cup Qualifiers.

The UAE remain rooted to the bottom with 14 points from 24 matches, having picked up four points by defeating Oman twice. Oman, who managed only two points from their solitary win over Nepal in the series, sit third with 31 points from 28 matches.

First home win over Oman

Having beaten the UAE twice and defeated Oman for the first time on home soil, Nepal head into their next League 2 tri‑series against table‑toppers USA and second‑placed Scotland, starting on 12 May, with renewed confidence.

Aasif Sheikh starred with the bat while Gulshan Jha shone with the ball in Tuesday’s triumph. Opting to bat first, Nepal posted a competitive 256 all out in 49.5 overs, built around Aasif’s fluent 94. In reply, Oman were bundled out for 175 in 39.5 overs, Jha claiming a five‑for.

Previously, Oman had beaten Nepal three times on home turf. 

This time, Nandan Yadav sparked the collapse by removing skipper Jatinder Singh for 12 in the seventh over. Yadav then ran out Siddarth Bukkapatnam for a duck with a direct hit.

Opener Hasnain Ul Wahab made 29 off 43 balls, Hamad Mirza chipped in with 34 from 51, Vinayak Shukla struck 36 off 41 with three fours and two sixes, while Hasnain Shah managed 14 off 10.

Jha returned figures of 5 for 38 from nine overs, his best ODI performance and his second five‑wicket haul in the format, having also taken five against Oman in Canada two years ago. Sandeep Lamichhane, Karan KC, Dipendra Singh Airee and Yadav chipped in with one wicket apiece.

Aasif misses ton

Dropped for the previous game due to poor form, Aasif responded with a sparkling 94 off 97 balls, laced with seven fours and five sixes, his second‑highest ODI score. He fell short of a maiden century after being caught on the boundary.

Named Player of the Match, Aasif said: “We will take one match at a time and focus on winning. Every game in League 2 is very important.”

Oman opened with spin, Shakeel Ahmed sending down a maiden first over before Ramanandi removed Binod Bhandari for a duck in the second over. 

Aasif then combined with Arjun Kumal for a 123‑run stand for the second wicket. Kumal, in only his second ODI, made 48 off 87 balls.

Skipper Rohit Paudel managed nine, Jha added 17, and vice‑captain Airee contributed 33. Karan KC fell first ball, while Nandan and Sandeep scored two and one respectively. Aarif Sheikh provided late fireworks with 43 off 23 balls, smashing three consecutive sixes in the final over off Hasnain Shah.

Nadeem Khan was the pick of the bowlers with 3 for 41 from 10 overs. Shah and Shakeel Ahmed claimed two wickets apiece.Reflecting on the series, Jha expressed satisfaction with three wins from four matches. “We planned not to miss any matches in the home series. We will be looking for all four wins in the coming series,” he said.