KATHMANDU: In the ongoing Top End T20 Series in Australia, Nepal suffered a 42-run defeat against the home team, Northern Territory Strike.
Chasing a target of 178 runs, Nepal managed only 135 for 8 in their allotted 20 overs. The top-order collapse proved costly, as the openers failed to give Nepal a strong start. Kusal Bhurtel was dismissed for 8, Asif Sheikh for 11, and Lokesh Bam departed without scoring.
Captain Rohit Paudel contributed 23 runs, while Kushal Malla added 34. Dipendra Singh Airee scored 19 and Gulshan Jha chipped in with 26, but the rest of the batting lineup struggled. Sompal Kami was out for 1, while Rupesh Singh remained unbeaten on 8 and Sandeep Lamichhane on 2.
For the Northern Territory, Matt Hammond was the pick of the bowlers with 3 wickets. Thomas Andrews and Kane Richardson took 2 wickets each, while Hamish Martin claimed one.
Earlier, after winning the toss and choosing to field, Nepal restricted the Northern Territory to 177 for 8 in 20 overs. Opener D’Arcy Short led the scoring with a fluent 51 off 34 balls, including 7 fours and a six, before being bowled by Sandeep Lamichhane.
Jacob Dickman was dismissed for 11, caught by Rupesh Singh. Connor Carroll scored 18, Jordan Silk made 19, Thomas Andrews contributed 32, and Cadel McMahon added 12. No other batter reached double figures.
For Nepal, Sandeep Lamichhane starred with the ball, taking 3 wickets. Sahab Alam claimed 2, while Rupesh Singh, Dipendra Singh Airee, and Rohit Paudel took one wicket each.
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