Nepal A beat Scotland in rain thriller

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, May 10: Nepal A held their nerve to secure a nine-run victory over Scotland via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method in a rain-interrupted fifth match of the ODI series at the Mulpani Cricket Ground in Kathmandu on Saturday. The win came after a high-scoring contest that kept momentum swinging between the two sides.

Batting first after losing the toss, Scotland piled up an imposing 302 for 8 in their 50 overs. George Munsey provided an aggressive start with 62 off 51 balls, while Michael English anchored the innings with an unbeaten 56. Richie Berrington contributed 40, Brandon McMullen made 39, and Matthew Cross added 25. Jack Jarvis also chipped in with a quick 30 towards the end of the innings.

Nepal A’s bowling unit worked hard on a difficult pitch, with Aakash Chand leading the attack by taking 3 for 59. Bipin Khatri, Sher Malla, Pawan Sarraf and Kushal Malla each picked up a wicket as Scotland were restricted just past the 300-mark after a strong finish.

In response, Nepal A produced a confident chase despite early setbacks. Trit Raj Das and Mayan Yadav fell cheaply, but Ishan Pandey steadied the innings with a well-made 50 off 53 balls. Sundeep Jora then took control with a composed unbeaten 83 from 94 deliveries, holding the innings together under pressure. Basir Ahamad added a useful 20 before rain interrupted play late in the chase.

At the point of interruption, Nepal A were 204 for 4 in 34.5 overs, comfortably ahead of the revised DLS target of 196. As a result, they were declared winners by nine runs. Kushal Malla remained not out when the rain arrived, with Nepal well placed to complete the chase.

Scotland’s bowlers, including Mark Watt and Bradley Currie, kept things tight at times, each finishing with figures of 1 for 21, but they were unable to slow Nepal A’s scoring rate enough to regain control of the match.

The result continues Nepal A’s strong run in the tri-nation series, further boosting confidence ahead of upcoming fixtures against both Scotland and the United States.