Date & Venue
August 1, 2018 2:45 pm NPT
VRA Cricket Ground, Amstelveen
Live on Kantipur TV & Kantipur TV HD
Match Feature
The occasion does not get any bigger than this. Against the Netherlands, Nepal is set to play their first ever ODI match. The continuous dedication, hard work and struggles on and off the field over a relatively long period of time has finally paid off. From WCL Division Five back in 2008 to eventually being an ODI nation in 2018, the journey has been nothing short of remarkable. No doubt, Nepalese cricketers will enjoy every ounce of historical moment when they take the field for their maiden ODI encounter against the mighty Dutch.
Netherlands on the other hand themselves are returning to the ODI fold after 4 years, having lost their ODI status following a thumping loss against Kenya on the last day of the group stage in the ICC World Cup Qualifiers 2014. Coming back after a lengthy absence in ODI cricket, Netherlands would like to resume the proceedings with a win over Nepal at home ground. All in all, a great game is in store among two giants of Associate cricket.
Players to watch
Paras Khadka, the heart-beat of Nepali Cricket Team will be pivotal for Nepal’s success against the hosts in their maiden ODI encounter. Nepal’s batting more often than not depends on the performance of the skipper as he is the linchpin of this shaky batting line-up. So, if Nepal is to put on a better show with the bat, Khadka’s magic with the bat needs to weave once again. Apart from the batting department, given the nature of the track in VRA Cricket Ground, the gun all-rounder may have to roll his hands for some crucial overs as well.
Wesley Barresi with his wealth of experience and batting prowess in his armory, is no doubt the main man for Netherlands. The dazzling right-handed Dutch opening batsman will be the key for Netherlands to lay down a solid batting foundation against a very potent Nepali bowling line-up. He has the potential to bat long and score at a very good strike rate to put the pressure constantly on opposition bowlers. Considering how dangerous he could be, Nepal would like to pick up his wicket early in the innings.
Pitch & Conditions
The pitch in VRA Cricket Ground is generally a good batting wicket with the ball coming onto the bat nicely. There may be some bounce on offer for the bowlers as well. With the weather set to be a little bit cloudy, but fairly nice for the day, it should be a good contest between bat and ball.
Stats that matter
1. It will be Nepal’s maiden ODI whereas Netherland’s 77th ODI when they take on each other this Wednesday.
2. The last time these two teams met in List A cricket was in the 7th place play off in ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2018. Netherlands defeated Nepal decisively by 45 runs. (VIEW SCORECARD). However, the Netherlands are a team in transition. Peter Borren, who captained Netherlands in that match has retired. Whereas, Roelof van der Merwe and Timm van der Gugten have returned for county duties. Similarly, Ryan ten Doeschate who faced Nepal in the recent T20I at Lord’s is also not part of the Dutch ODI setup.
3. 19 ODIs have been played so far in VRA Cricket Ground, Amstelveen with teams batting first winning 10 games.
Squads
Nepal: – Paras Khadka (c), Dipendra Singh Airee, Lalit Bhandari, Shakti Gauchan, Karan KC, Sompal Kami, Subash Khakurel, Sandeep Lamichhane, Gyanendra Malla, Rohit Kumar Paudel, Lalit Rajbanshi, Basant Regmi, Anil Kumar Sah, Aarif Sheikh, Sharad Vesawkar.
Netherlands:- Pieter Seelaar (c), Wesley Barresi, Dan ter Braak, Ben Cooper, Scott Edwards (wk), Frederick Klaassen, Bas De Leede, Paul van Meekeren, Stephan Myburgh, Max O’Dowd, Hidde Overdijk, Shane Snater, Michael Rippon
