KATHMANDU: Nepal secured a straightforward victory over Hong Kong in the final of the Asian Games men’s cricket qualifier in Singapore, winning via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method after rain interrupted play.
Chasing a target of 189 runs set by Hong Kong, Nepal were well placed at 114 for 2 in 11.3 overs when rain stopped play on Monday.
As the match could not resume, Nepal were declared winners under the DLS method, finishing 19 runs ahead of the par score of 95.
Opener Kushal Bhurtel led the chase with a fluent 65 off 40 balls before being dismissed. Captain Rohit Paudel remained unbeaten on 35, while Dipendra Singh Airee was not out on 9.
For Hong Kong, Ehsan Khan and Ayush Shukla took one wicket each.
Earlier, Hong Kong posted a competitive total of 188 for 7 in 20 overs after being put into bat. Anshuman Rath top-scored with 80 off 45 balls, hitting six fours and six sixes, while Shahid Wasif contributed 55 off 28 deliveries.
Nepal’s bowling attack was led by Sagar Dhakal, who took four wickets for 32 runs. Karan KC claimed two wickets, while Sandeep Lamichhane picked up one.
At one stage, Hong Kong looked set for a much bigger total at 179 for 5 in 18 overs, but they failed to finish strongly.
Both Nepal and Hong Kong entered the final unbeaten, making Nepal’s rain-affected victory a hard-fought and significant triumph in the qualifier.
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