KATHMANDU: Nepal will be aiming to keep their ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 qualification hopes alive when they face Namibia in their third match of the tri-nation ODI series in the Netherlands on Monday.
The match is scheduled to begin at 4:45 pm (Nepal time).
Nepal head into the contest under pressure after suffering back-to-back defeats to Namibia and hosts the Netherlands, with disappointing performances in batting, bowling and fielding.
The consecutive losses have significantly dented Nepal’s chances of finishing in the top four of the League 2 standings and securing direct qualification for the Cricket World Cup Global Qualifier.
In their opening match at Sportpark Maarschalkerweerd in Utrecht, Nepal were beaten by Namibia by eight wickets. After being invited to bat first, Nepal struggled against JJ Smit’s bowling attack and were bowled out for 157. Namibia comfortably chased the 158-run target in 37.4 overs, losing only two wickets.
Nepal suffered another six-wicket defeat in their second match against the Netherlands. After posting the same total of 157, the hosts chased down the target in 35 overs with four wickets in hand.
The Netherlands have strengthened their position in the League 2 standings with two consecutive victories in the series. After defeating Nepal in the opening fixture, the Dutch side went on to beat Namibia by 58 runs on Saturday.
With 36 points from 30 matches, the Netherlands sit third in the standings, while Nepal and Namibia are fifth and sixth respectively, both on 24 points from the same number of games.
Nepal will conclude the tri-series with another match against the Netherlands on Wednesday.
With qualification prospects hanging in the balance, Nepal are under mounting pressure to win their remaining fixtures to stay in contention for direct entry into the Cricket World Cup Global Qualifier.
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