KATHMANDU: Nepal has defeated Singapore by 218 runs at its first match under the ICC Asia U-19 World Cup Qualifier held at Selangor Turf Club, Kuala Lumpur on Friday.
Nepal restricted Singapore to paltry 65 runs while it was chasing the opponent’s mammoth target of 283 runs. Singapore’s Ishaan Sawney and Sai Venugopal scored 28 and 18 runs off 54 and 45 balls while the other batsmen could not reach double-digit runs.
Nepal’s Pawan Sarraf took highest three wickets of Singapore including five maidens in six overs. Similarly, Surya Tamang and Kaushal Malla grabbed two wickets each giving away at the cost of 15 and 17 runs in seven and eight overs, exerting pressure on the opponent.
Earlier, invited to bat first after losing the toss, Nepal notched up 282 runs losing all wickets in 46 overs. Skipper Rohit Kumar Paudel top-scored with 95 runs including seven fours and one six off 105 balls. Similarly, Rashid Khan made 48 runs including four fours and two sixes off 47 deliveries while Pawan Sarraf contributed 47 runs including four fours and two sixes off 53 balls.
In reply, Atharva Gune claimed highest four wickets including one maiden conceding 37 runs in eight overs, Raoul Sharma and Vinit Mehta grabbed two wickets each giving away 36 and 30 runs respectively while Pramesh Singhavi claimed one wicket of Nepal giving away 46 runs in seven overs.
Six teams – United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman, Singapore, Malaysia including Nepal from Asian content – are competing for a qualifier in a round robin format. The team scoring the highest points in the Qualifier will be selected for U-19 World Cup to be held in Africa in 2020.
Nepal had played a friendly match with U-19 cricket teams in Andhra Pradesh of India prior to this Qualifier.
Of the total six friendly matches, Nepal won four matches and lost two matches.
Rohit Kumar Paudel (captain), Pawan Sarraf, Sandeep Jora, Bhim Sarki, Kushal Malla, Hari Bahadur Chauhan, Pratish GC and Abhishek Basnet are in the team. Similarly, Rit Gautam, Kamal Singh Airee, Rashid Khan, Sagar Dhakal and Surya Tamang.
Former captain of National Cricket Team Binod Das is the coach. Nepal had participated in the ICC Asia U-19 World Cup Qualifier for seven times that had started since 1998.
Nepal, which had first participated in U-19 held in Sri Lanka in 2000, has played seven times so far (five times (2000-2008) and two times (2012 and 2016). Nepal will play with UAE on Saturday, Malaysia on Monday, with Oman on Tuesday and Kuwait on Thursday.
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