In the third match of the Top End T20 series in Australia’s Northern Territory, Nepal suffered their third straight defeat. On Monday, Melbourne Stars Academy defeated Nepal by 31 runs.
Chasing a target of 176, Nepal managed 144 for 8 in their allotted 20 overs.
Opener Asif Sheikh scored a half-century but it wasn’t enough for victory. He made 53 runs off 49 balls, including 3 fours and 1 six. Captain Rohit Paudel added 33 runs, while Kushal Bhurtel contributed 25.
The opening pair of Kushal Bhurtel and Asif Sheikh gave Nepal a solid start, putting together a 30-run partnership. Aggressive batsman Bhurtel scored 25 off 13 balls with 4 fours before being dismissed in the fourth over. Soon after, Bhim Sharki was out for just 1 run, leaving Nepal at 32-2 after 4 overs. Asif and Rohit then added 87 runs for the third wicket, stabilizing the innings.
However, after the dismissals of Rohit and Asif, Nepal’s innings faltered. Rohit was out for 33 in the 16th over, having faced 31 balls with 3 fours. Subsequent batsmen fell quickly—Kushal Malla scored 11, and Dipendra Singh Airey was out for 1.
For Melbourne Stars Academy, Austin Anlezark and Doug Warren took 2 wickets each.
Earlier, Melbourne batted first after winning the toss and posted 175 for 7 in 20 overs. Blake Macdonald scored a team-high 74, while Thomas Rogers added 65. The pair shared a century partnership for the second wicket. Although captain Campbell Kelava fell early for just 2, Blake and Thomas added 120 runs for the second wicket.
For Nepal, Sandeep Lamichhane took 3 wickets, while Sompal Kami and Shahbaz Alam took 1 each. Two other players were run out.
Nepal had previously lost to NT Strike in the first match and Bangladesh A in the second. Next, Nepal will face Hobart Hurricanes, Melbourne Renegades, and Pakistan Shaheens.