CARDIFF: Nepal’s national cricket team began its UK tour on a high note by securing a three-wicket win against the Newport Cricket Club in their first one-day practice match held in Cardiff on Friday.
The victory marks a strong start for Nepal as it prepares for upcoming fixtures in the ICC World Cup League-2.
Chasing a target of 213 runs set by the hosts, Nepal reached the total in 37.5 overs, losing seven wickets in the process.
The chase initially got off to a rocky start, but a resilient partnership between Aarif Sheikh and Gulshan Jha turned the tide in Nepal’s favor.
Jha top-scored with an impressive 80 runs, while Aarif remained unbeaten with 73 runs. Their crucial 134-run stand for the seventh wicket proved to be the backbone of Nepal’s innings.
Earlier, Nepal chose to field first and put up a disciplined bowling performance. Kushal Bhurtel led the attack with three wickets, followed by Dipendra Singh Airee who took two.
Rijan Dhakal, Lalit Rajbanshi, and Sompal Kami chipped in with one wicket each to restrict Newport to a manageable total.
The Nepali squad is scheduled to play three more practice matches during their UK tour.
These preparatory games are part of Nepal’s build-up to the ICC World Cup League-2 fixtures, where Nepal will take on Scotland and the Netherlands from June 2.
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