KATHMANDU, April 18: Nepal U-19 cricket team failed to qualify for the 2020 U-19 World Cup even after thrashing Kuwait U-19 by eight wickets in the ICC Asia U-19 World Cup Qualifier in Malaysia on Thursday.

Only the group winner of the six non-Test playing nations could qualify for the 13th edition of U-19 World Cup to be held in South Africa from 17 January to 9 February next year.

Nepal, with its fourth win, accumulated eight points from five matches. Nepal’s hopes of qualifying for the eighth world cup were dented by the rain as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) beat Nepal by 1 run under DL method. UAE was 122/3 chasing a target of 247 runs when the rain interrupted and washed out the play.

Nepal was hoping the UAE lose to Oman to turn back their fortune. But, the UAE routed Oman by 10 wickets earlier in the morning—registering a fifth win in five matches to top the group with 10 points. UEA chased a target of 106 runs without losing a wicket in 12.1 overs.

At Kinrara Academy Oval in Kuala Lumpur, the Kuwaitis, after losing the toss and sent to bat first, posted a target of 157 runs in 49.4 over. Noman Budroo top-scored for Kuwait hitting 70 runs off 120 balls hitting eight boundaries. Nepal skipper took three wickets. Kushal Malla, Surya Tamang and Rashid Khan took two wickets each.

In reply, Nepal reached the target in 28 overs at the loss of two wickets. A solid 93-run partnership between openers Rit Gautam (62) and Pawan Sarraf (53) consolidated the innings and Aasif Sheikh (33 not out) and Sundeep Jora (5) handed the teenage Rhinos their fourth win. Gautam hit seven fours while Sarraf made eight boundaries and one six.

The UAE will travel to South Africa as the 13th nation to join Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies, Zimbabwe and Nigeria. Top eleven full members of the International Cricket Council (ICC) had automatically qualified for the tournament except for Ireland. Nigeria was the first team to qualify from the regional qualification tournament.

Three nations from America Division 1, (East-Asia Pacific) EAP Division 1 and Europe Division 1 are yet to join the group.

KATHMANDU, April 16: Nepal U-19 cricket team’s dominating display in Malaysia continued as it humiliated Oman by 150 runs in the ongoing ICC Asia U-19 World Cup Qualifier in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Tuesday.

At Selangor Turf Club , Nepal, invited to bat first scored 229 runs in allotted overs. Skipper Rohit Kumar Paudel top scored with 75 runs off 81 deliveries including five boundaries and two sixes after openers Pawan Sarraf and Rit Gautam only made 15 run partnership. Pratish GC scored 41 runs off 23 balls including two fours and four sixes while Bhim Sharki and Abhishek Basnet scored 39 and 15 runs respectively.

Muzahir Raza, Azam Ali, Sanjay Ravindra and Jeel Tanna took two wickets each for Oman.

In reply, Oman chasing the target of 230, struggled with the bat and was bundled out for 79 run in 44.1 overs. Sarraf took three wickets while GC and Surya Tamang took two wickets each. Kushal Malla, Kamal Singh Airee and Bhim Sharki took a wicket each.

For Oman, Only Amanpreet Sirah and Tanna could reach double figures both scoring 13 runs each.

This the third win for Nepal in four matches, with still a game in hand. With the win, Nepal has accumulated six points and two points below leader the United Arab Emirates who beat Singapore by nine wickets earlier.

Nepal defeated Singapore in its opening match by a huge margin of 217 runs but lost to the UAE by 1 run in an upsetting DLS method after the rain interrupted the play at the end of 30th over when the UAE was on 122 chasing a target of 247 runs. Nepal defeated Malaysia by eight wickets on Monday.

Nepal will take on Kuwait on Thursday while the UAE will face Oman the same day. In order to top the table and qualify for South Africa, the teenage Rhinos must win the next match and hope the UAE loses against Oman.

If Nepal wins and the UAE loses, then Nepal will qualify on the superiority of run rate which figures at 3.095. UAE has 1.827 run rate.

Six non-Test playing nations, Malaysia, Nepal, UAE, Kuwait, Oman and Singapore, are competing in the qualifiers to secure a spot as the 13th nation to qualify for the in U-19 World Cup 2020, to be held from 17 January to 9 February.

KATHMADU, April 15: Nepal thumped Malaysia by eight runs in the ongoing ICC Asia U-19 World Cup Qualifier at the Bayuemas Oval cricket ground in Malaysia on Monday.

This is Nepal’s second victory in three matches. With the win, Nepal collected four points. Nepal beat Singapore by 217 runs in the first match of the qualifiers while it faced a one run defeat to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the second match.

Malaysia, sent to bat first after losing the toss, posted a 93-run target to Nepal. In response, Nepal attained the target in just 13 overs at the loss of two wickets.

Opener Rit Gurung (not out) hit 39 runs off 45 deliveries for Nepal. He hit five boundaries. Similarly, Asif Shekh scored 26 runs and Pawan Sarraf hit 19 runs while skipper Rohit Poudel was unbeaten in six runs.

Malaysian players Shafiq Syakir and Sukri Madeli each took one wicket.

Earlier, Malaysia was limited to 92 runs in 33.5 overs losing all wickets. Jelad Daniel bin Ahamed scored the highest run for Malaysia hitting 37 runs while captain Mohamad Amir made 13 runs and Hakim Harisan 10 runs.

Pawan Sarraf and Kushal Malla of Nepal each took three wickets while Kamal Singh Airee took two wickets. Nepal will face Oman in its fourth match on Tuesday and Kuwait on Thursday.

The winner of this qualifier will get entry to the World Cup to be held in South Africa in 2020.

KATHMANDU, July 24: Captian Sandeep Lamicchhane took seven wickets as Nepal defeated Malaysia by five wickets in its fifth match held under the ongoing ICC Asia U-19 World Cup Qualifier match in Singapore.

Malaysia, batting first after losing the toss, was all out scoring only 89 runs in 35.1 overs.

In the match played at the Indian Cricket Ground, Nepali cricketer achieved the 90-run target in just 22.2 overs at the loss of five wickets.

Nepali team’s Rohit Kumar Poudel contributed 36 unabated runs with hitting six fours in 37 balls to his team. Dipendra Singh Airee made 19 runs, Sandeep Sunar 15 and Anil Shah 12.

Malaysian team captain Virandeep Singh and Hafizuddin each took two wickets.
Aziz managed to score the highest runs 46 and Virandeep confided to scoring only 10 runs. Four Malaysian batsmen ran off the pitch on zero.

Nepali team’s captain Sandeep Lamicchane alone took seven wickets while Sahab Alam and Rijan Dhakjal gained two and one wicket respectively.

Alam had 23 runs in 9 overs. Dhakal, who made debut in the today’s match against Malaysia, gave 15 runs in 5 overs with one maiden.

Nepal is in second position with eight points with four victories and one defeat in the five matches it has played so far under the tournament. RSS

KATHMANDU, July 21: Nepal defeated Singapore by 22 runs in its fourth match played today under the ICC Asia U-19 World Cup Qualifier cricket championship underway in Singapore.

In the match played in the Singapore-based Indian Association’s cricket ground, Nepal opted to bat first after winning the toss and secured 168 runs in 46.5 overs at the loss of all wickets.

In reply, the host country, losing all wickets, made 146 runs in 46.5 overs.

Singapore’s batsman Rohan Rangarajan made 23 runs while Sean Agarwal contributed 21 runs, Sidhant 25 runs while Yuvraj Singh played with 19 runs and Hanshul Deep scored 32 runs.

Nepali team captain Sandeep Lamichhane alone took four wickets in course of limiting the competitor to 146 runs.

Dipendra Singh Airee hit a half-century and took one wicket for his team. He collected 54 runs with the help of two sixes and two fours in 83 balls. Similarly, opening batsman Sandip Sunar made 26 runs, including one six and two fours while Prakash KC made 23 runs.

In the bowling side, Bir Bikram Biswasray took three wickets while Aryaman Sunil Uchil and Aahan Gopinath Achar two wickets each for Singapore. Bishwasray conceded 29 runs in 10 overs with two maidens, Aryaman gave away 23 runs in five overs and Gopinath conceded 31 runs in 10 overs. RSS

KATHMANDU, July 20: Nepal went down to Afghanistan conceding a 141-run defeat in the match played today under the ICC Asia U-19 World Cup qualifier underway in Singapore.

Afghanistan had set a 191-run target to Nepal. Chasing the target, Nepal could muster only 49 runs in 26 overs, losing all its wickets.

Nepal’s starting was unimpressive. By 10.1 overs, it had lost its vital six wickets and collected merely 19 runs. Pawan Sarraf made 26 runs including three fours from 52 balls. The rest of the Nepali batsmen simply collapsed before the blasting Afghanistan bowlers. Four players returned to the pavilion without making any runs.

Afghanistan’s Mujeeb Zadran and Naveen-ul-Haq each took four wickets. Zadran conceded only seven runs in nine overs with five maidens while Haq gave away eight runs in four overs with one maiden. Haq pulled a hat-trick sending Dipendra Singh Airee to the pavilion in the fourth ball, followed by Pranit Thapa Magar in the fifth ball and Anil Shah in the sixth ball of the third over.

Earlier, Afghanistan which was invited to bat first after losing the toss made 190 runs in the 49.4 overs losing all its wickets in the stipulated 50 overs. Opening batsman Ibrahim Zadran scored 43 runs from 41 balls that include one six and five fours. Likewise, Naveed Obaid contributed 33 runs while Tariq Stanikzai 27 runs, Naveen-ul-Haq 20 runs and Imran Mohammadi 18 runs.

As for Nepal, Shahab Alam took three wickets in 10 overs at the loss of 46 runs. Likewise, Sandip Lamichhane and Pawan Sarraf claimed two wickets each. Sarraf gave away 19 runs in seven overs with two maidens while Lamichhane gave away 30 runs in 9.4 overs with two maidens.

Nepal had defeated Singapore in the first game and Malaysia in the second before this. RSS