After opening batsman Kushal Bhurtel shined, Nepal got off to a good start in the tri-nation series under the ICC ODI World Cup Cricket League-2.
Nepal defeated Namibia by two wickets in the first match on Monday at TU Cricket Ground Kirtipur. Chasing the winning target of 286 runs given by Namibia, Nepal completed it in 47.4 overs with the loss of eight wickets. This is the highest total achieved by Nepal in ODI cricket.
This is also the first time that Nepal has defeated Namibia in ODI. Kushal Bhurtel scored the highest 115 runs for Nepal. Kushal scored the run with the help of 10 fours and four sixes in 113 balls. Captain Rohit Paudel scored 72 runs, Sundeep Jora scored 28 runs, Gyanendra Malla scored 25 runs and Karan KC scored 20 runs.
In bowling, Namibia’s Reben Trumpelman and Jan Nicol took three wickets. Tangeni Lungameni and Bernard Scholtz took one wicket each.
Namibia, who lost the toss and were invited to bat first, scored 285 runs in the scheduled 50 overs with the loss of all wickets.
Michael van Lingen scored a century for Namibia. He scored 133 runs. Captain Gerhard Erasmus scored 56, Jane Green scored 34, Karl Birkenstock scored 13, Jan Freelink scored 13 and Ruben Trumpelman scored 11 runs.
In bowling, Karan KC of Nepal took five wickets during which 61 runs were spent with 1 maiden over in 10 overs. Sandeep Lamichhane took three wickets and Kushal Malla and Sompal Kami took one wicket each. In this match with Namibia, former captain Sandeep returned to the team after five months.
After taking the wicket of Namibia in his first over, Sandeep became emotional on the field. The team members consoled him and encouraged him for more wickets. With the win, Nepal has completed 25 matches in the series and is in the sixth position with 20 points. Namibia is in third place with 37 points from 31 games.
In the second match of the three-team series, Nepal will compete against Scotland on February 5, Namibia on February 6 and Scotland on February 9. Scotland is currently at the top with 46 points from 32 matches.
Bhurtel’s first Century
In the match against Namibia, Nepal’s opener Kushal Bhurtel completed the century. Kushal scored 115 runs off 113 balls with the help of 10 fours and four sixes. This is his first innings in ODIs.
Bhurtel has also become the third Nepali player to score a century in T20 and ODIs. Earlier, former captain Paras Khadka and Dipendra Singh Airi had hit satak in both formats. Bhurtel also became the first opener to score a century in ODIs.
Rohit completes 1000 runs in ODIs
Rohit Paudel, the captain of the Nepali cricket team, has become the first Nepali cricketer to complete 1000 runs in ODI cricket. Rohit became the first Nepali cricketer to complete 1000 runs after scoring 55 runs against Namibia in the tri-nation series under ICC World Cup League-2. Rohit scored 72 runs against Namibia.
Rohit has completed 1000 runs in 33 ODIs. After Rohit, Gyanendra Malla has scored 734 runs in ODIs and Asif Sheikh has scored 655 runs.