KATHMANDU: In a gripping encounter, the Netherlands emerged victorious over Nepal by a narrow margin of two runs in the second match of the tri-nations T20I series.

Opting to bowl first after winning the toss, Nepal’s decision seemed vindicated as they restricted the Netherlands to 184 runs for the loss of four wickets.

However, the chase proved to be a tense affair as Nepal fell agonizingly short of the target, managing to score 182 runs despite valiant efforts from their batsmen.

Dipendra Singh Airee led the charge with an impressive half-century, contributing 63 runs to the team’s total, while Captain Rohit Poudel’s 50 runs further bolstered Nepal’s innings.

Aasif Sheikh and Kushal Malla also made valuable contributions, adding 34 and 11 runs respectively.

Despite Nepal’s spirited effort with the bat, it was ultimately the Dutch who emerged victorious, thanks in part to a solid batting performance from Michal Levitt, who made a half-century on his T20I debut, and S. Engelbrecht, who contributed 49 runs to the Dutch total.