Namibia secured their second consecutive victory over Nepal in a thrilling encounter. The Namibian team clinched a nail-biting win by two wickets against Nepal in the triangular series match held at TU Ground Kirtipur, part of the ICC Cricket World Cup League-2.
Chasing a target of 169 runs set by Nepal, Namibia reached the target in the final ball of the 40th over, losing 8 wickets in the process.
Leading from the front, Namibia’s captain, Gerhard Erasmus, played a crucial innings, scoring a half-century with 52 runs off 56 balls, including 8 fours and 2 sixes. Erasmus’s valuable contribution came to an end when he was dismissed by Kushal Bhurtel, marking Namibia’s fifth wicket.
JJ Smith also played a significant role, contributing 34 runs off 66 balls and remaining unbeaten till the end. Smith’s presence stabilized the innings, especially when Namibia was struggling at 86 runs for the loss of 4 wickets.
Namibia faced an early setback when Nikolaas Davin was run out in the fourth ball of the second over, followed by the dismissal of opener JP Kotze, who scored 3 runs in 9 balls, bowled by captain Rohit Kumar Paudel in the first ball of the fifth over. Michael Van Lingen scored 31 runs off 34 balls but was dismissed by Kushal Malla. Jan Frylinck and Zane Green also fell cheaply, leaving Namibia in a precarious position. However, Ruben Trumpelmann’s quick cameo of 16 runs off 12 balls ensured Namibia reached the target.
Kushal Bhurtel was the standout bowler for Nepal, claiming 3 wickets, while Kushal Malla, Rohit Paudel, Dipendra Singh Airee, and Lalit Narayan Rajbanshi took one wicket each.
In the first innings, Nepal, after losing the toss, posted a total of 168 runs in 37.1 overs.
Opener Aasif Sheikh played a remarkable innings, scoring 58 runs off 64 balls, including 8 fours and 1 six, before being dismissed by Bernard Scholtz. His partnership of 57 runs with Kushal Malla provided stability to the Nepalese innings.
Kushal Malla contributed 36 runs off 52 balls, hitting 1 four and 3 sixes before being dismissed by Gerhard Erasmus.
Other notable contributions came from Bhim Sarki, who scored 26 runs off 36 balls. However, Nepal faced early setbacks with Kushal Bhurtel, Anil Kumar Shah, Dev, Rohit Paudel, and Dipendra Singh Airee departing cheaply.
After today’s victory, Namibia has moved to the top spot in the points table, with Nepal trailing in second place. This win marks Namibia’s second triumph over Nepal in the series, further solidifying their position in the competition.
