Despite a five-wicket defeat against the USA amidst bad behavior of the spectators, Nepal qualified for the final and earned promotion to Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Division 4 being a whisker ahead on net run rate.
USA celebates the victory. Raising his bat is man of the match Sushil Nadkarni. Photo by NepalSportsPhoto.com
After scoring a lowly 162/9 in 50 overs in a jam-packed TU Cricket Ground, Nepal neither succeeded in defeating the USA nor making them win taking more than 38 overs — a point initially calculated safe for Nepal to reach the finals.
The 15,000-odd spectators began moving out when the USA reached 150/5 in 32 overs after hitting Basanta Regmi for three sixes in an over. They also threw plastic bottles and stone pebbles on the ground forcing the umpires to suspend the game for 30 minutes.
The game resumed with the USA getting a revised target of 157 in 46 overs. USA needed nine more balls to reach the revised total.
The organizing International Cricket Council (ICC) only confirmed the net run-rate a couple of hours after the match was concluded. Nepal qualified for the finals ahead of Singapore, who chased Jersey´s 192 in 26 overs in an attempt to improve their run rate, by 0.004.
WCL Div 5 Media Manager Lucy Benjamin, tournament director Andrew Faichney and match referee DT Jukes in consultation after the match was stopped due to crowd trouble. Photo by NepalSportsPhoto.com
Had the USA beaten Nepal two balls earlier, in 33.1 overs, Singapore would have gone through to the final along with the USA. If crowd disturbance had not reduced the USA target, Nepal would probably have missed out.
USA troubled Nepal early after Paras Khadka won the toss and elected to bat first. Nepal were down to 80/6 in 31.2 overs with Kevin Darlington and Orlando Baker picking two wickets each.
Nepal included Anil Mandal at the expense of former captain Binod Das, who was dropped for the first time since he debuted for the national side, but that did not improve Nepal´s opening batting. Dipendra Chaudhary, Anil, Shakti Gauchan, Paras Khadka, Sharad Vesawkar and Mahesh Chhetri failed to score big.
Gyanendra Malla scored half-century in Nepal's low total. Photo by NepalSportsPhoto.com
If Nepal reached an honorable total, it was because Gyanendra Malla and Mehboob Alam, dropped down the order, partnered 62 runs. But both of them were out on a wrong time, in the 45th over.
Mehboob was run-out after making 38 off 44 balls with two fours and a six while Gyanendra completed a half-century before being adjudged leg-before off Lennox Cush.
Nepal needed acceleration at the end but US bowlers prevented that. Darlington, the leading wicket-taker, took another to finish at 3/23.
USA´s reply did not begin on a high-note as Mehboob picked Baker early and introduction of spinners slowed down the run-rate temporarily.
US batsmen attacked spinners in a way they have been not attacked in recent history and the formidable spin bowling tumbled – the highlight of which was Sushil Nadkarni´s three sixes off Basanta.
Captain Steve Massiah contributed with a calm 42 while former Indian U-19 player Nadkarni stormed an unbeaten 57 in 59 balls with three fours and four sixes. Thyagarajan contributed with an unbeaten 18.
For Nepal, Sanjam Regmi, Basanta and Rahul Bishwakarma each took a wicket for Nepal.
“We could not take wickets in the right time while USA batted well,” Paras commented after the match. “Losing Gyanendra and Mehboob in an over turned the match.”
He was disappointed. “I can´t exactly explain what happens to us as luck does not seem to be on our side in crucial matches,” he added.
Coach Roy Dias said the team failed to put enough runs on the board to defend.
US captain Massiah said they cashed in on the weakness of Nepal. “I knew their inability to play the pace and exploited it,” he said.
He said that the crowd were fantastic and said that it was natural for them to want Nepal to win.
CROWD TROUBLE: Volunteers clean up ground after crowd trouble. Photo by NepalSportsPhoto.com
Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Division 5 Points Table
| Team | M | W | L | T | NR | Pts | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USAÿ | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1.371 |
| Nepal | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1.351 |
| Singapore | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1.347 |
| Bahrain | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | -0.549 |
| Jersey | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -0.579 |
| Fiji | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -3.022 |
Jersey, Fiji relegated
Elsewhere, Singapore defeated Jersey at the Army Ground by seven wickets in mere 26 overs. Jersey’s top order put up a spirited effort including a half-century from opener Matt Hague but the side was all out for 192.
It took Singapore’s captain and vice-captain to see them through to the end with Buddika Mendis returning unbeaten on 85 while Aurora concluded the game on 45. Mendis also walked away with the Man of the Match award after recording figures of of 3-18.
A disappointed Jersey coach Craig Hogan said: “We absolutely got what we deserved. We didn’t do anything together for 50 overs during the tournament.
“We couldn’t bat well for 50 overs and you can’t continuously lose your last six wickets for 20 or 30 runs and you can’t go for 50, 60 or 70 runs in the power play. There are fundamental basic things that we haven’t done and we have got what we deserved.
“We have to work a bit harder and value our wickets a bit. When things don’t go your way you just have to scrounge and fight and we didn’t do that.”
In the final game of the day, Bahrain took on Fiji at the Engineering Ground in a match that saw Joe Rika’s men make their biggest innings total of the tournament so far, but in vain.
The Fijians were chasing down a target of 276 in their 50 overs, something that looking at their form in the tournament they were unlikely to achieve.
Bahrain’s match-winning performance came in the form of the player who had helped them to win promotion to WCL Div. 5 – Tahir Dar. The 34-year-old smashed his way to 54 in 30 balls, including seven fours and two sixes before taking bowling figures of 4-19.
Saturday’s final will see USA face Nepal at Tribhuvan University, Singapore play Bahrain at Engineering in the third/fourth play-off and Jersey take on Fiji at Army Ground for fifth/sixth.
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Good news but Nepal needs to improve their performance in the upcoming matches esp. BATTING, which is the weakest section of our Team!! Good Luck
Please anybody tell Nepali Team to improve in BATTING. Yes I agree that fielding and Balling is satisfied but batting?????? you should improve…. anyway best of luck for upcoming games
Oh god! It was fortunate for Nepal to be promoted to the Div. 4 as they didn’t deserve after the defeat against USA. I would say, It was all our prayers and wishes which makes Nepal move further but the way they played against USA was very disappointing….Any way..let’s shut our mouth by a knocking win in FINAL…
Good Luck!
Announcement: If Nepal will win the final game, I promise to provide a nice bat for “Man of The Match award” and I will continue to provide this for all the future games of Nepal playing in Finals and securing the “Man of The Match award” by winning those games.
Thank you
Mukesh Jha
Frederick, CO, USA
This is crazy. Nepali crowd created trouble and Nepal benefited through reduction of only 6 runs and 4 overs. Singapore deserved to go through after all the hardwork and you let crowd rowdyism help the home team go through. Ridiculous!
Today’s match proved where we stand in BATTING and it’s obvious. And there are players who missed the opportunities to perform well in matches. And ESP. I would like to give opportunity to young Batsman in coming matches. And we always get limited international matches where we have to show our skills. Bowling and Fielding is outstanding but BATTING as always poor. And we all know…. I never see players scoring 1s and 2s, No one willing to tickle the score. Either they go offensive hit 4 or 6 and stay calm for few over lose their patience and go for bad shot and get out…I hope coach would like to keep the statistics of batting performance from Nepal and other countries so that he can come up with something for Nepal and He should as he is there for a long time…And he should build a team where most batsman can bat and score 250+ in every match else we can only day dream of playing word cup 2015 …but I am impressed by young players from Nepal…This team is still not strong enough to take us to world cup I doubt WCL 4 may our last stop because we were not at the top of the group even where we are playing at home….And unless we cure out batting in time and be more aggressive we are never close to winning any matches and get drafted to WCL 3…good luck Nepal
Very good news for all Nepali cricket fans is that Nepal has been selected for Div.4. But on saturday we should improve batting & fielding. Best of luck for final match.
well done
we can do this lets support nepali team
All Nepali criket fans became very happy by knowing that Nepal has been selected for Div.4 & final of Div.5.But on saturday we should improve batting & fielding because in today’s match Nepali player became unable to save 1/2 runs during powerplay also.Best of luck for final match.
You guys only qualified coz u cheats invaded the pitch.. So shut the hell up.. I hope that USA thrashes u guys. And im sure there is gonna be an ICC/ACC ban on u guys hosting any tournaments in the near future.
May b u shuld learn more to calculate net run rate as it has nothing to do with the d/l method.. The runs n the over bowled is what it counts.. N ur country gets less than your opponents’ supporter in ur home and you are jelious of 25000 in Nepal.. N today u got what u deserved n thrashed by baharain.. Nepal beat all d opponents in d tournament n deserves to go through..
All Nepali criket fans became very happy by knowing that Nepal has been selected for Div.4 & final of Div.5.But on saturday we should improve our fielding because in today’s match Nepali player became unable to save 1/2 runs during powerplay also.Best of luck for final match.
jaile pani batting kina esto????nepali bowling ra fielding ta thik cha….kina batting jaile ni esto garcha …ati bhayo…..at least kailekahi ta batting ramro garnu paryo…..always crucial stage ma ayera nepali batting bigrancha…..talent ta cha but i don know why always nepali team ko batting le garda nepal le crucial match haru harnu parcha…..tei bhayera nepal bata testo aasha rakhna pani saki rako chaina ma……jaile pani game follow garchu last ma ayera nirasa matra huncha,……play positive and win for the country….j bhaye pani div 4 ma ta pugyo tara yo batting le garo cha div 4 bata agadi badna….please improve your batting please…………its too much…..best of luck for the final tomorrow…..hope you will beat USA ……
thanks god, nepal qualift ta bhayo, but batting chahi bhahena , improve gara ani Final ma USA lai harounai parcha , good job boys
Corporate houses sud b wise enuf to invest in cricket rather than Futbal. CAN IZ A DEAD HORSE, NEPALI CRICKET NEEDS A LION TO LEAD FROM THE FRONT.
Very sad day for Nepali fans in regards to the loss yesterday VS USA…It couldn’t have been worse after that rowdiness from the crowd. That definitely hurts our image as a good cricketing nation. But on the other hand i just feel that our Cricket fans are just like the ones in India, they go crazy when India looses a match against big teams! And that is exactly what happened yesterday. We were outplayed by USA and they deserve to win. We deserved to go to the finals as well and with luck and crowd’s interference we were able to make it to the finals. This could be the most bizarre way to go to the finals..but i guess destiny is with us. We have one more opportunity to prove that we can successfully beat USA team in the grand finale. I know our guyz are down but its the home ground, home crowd…we need even more support from the crowd and not in a negative manner by any means but we will need them in a bigger form. Finally, i am just happy to see our TEAM in the final. Good luck to you guyz and yes..good luck to our openers…They Really Need To Play Well on this one..!!!
Best Wishes..
Rakesh Karn
Dipendra,, it is now too much, not with the bat only.. Your Fielding also was unacceptable..
its great that nepal has been promoted.but it was sad that the match was delayed for some time due to crowd invasion and it doesnt leave good impression about our organizing capacity to outside world.so let us hope that these type of incident doesnt occur in nepal in coming days.best of luck to the national side for the final.
That was a disgrace from nepali audience and its sad to read about such things
welldone guys, but you need to improve batting. please target to make 300+ all the time while batting not 150. you guys need to build up confidence and win against USA today.
Ganesh Adhikari
Australia
Felt ashamed of the way we got the result. Despite being one of the biggest fan of Nepalese cricket, I would have preferred to see my team relegated then not winning through performance. I really felt bad for Singapore who deserved to go through. I apologize for the behavior of fellow fans.
We had very good performances in first four match, but chocked in this important one. Our player do not have the mental strength to win important match under pressure. Once again out top order and overall batting failed.
It is a shameful day for Nepalese cricket. This may effect our chances of holding other ICC/ACC matches in future.
Nepal is lacking in batting, Paras is doing well but failed in this match. Batsman should improve their batting if they want to qualify for the WC. all the best
Well..luck betrayed us so many times..and for once its favoured. I am not ashmed of our fans behaviour..we are passionate like that. And no one knew this would be the out come when they used the D/L method. It is a common ICC procedure, and we won fair and square.
Looks like the luck is finally turned on the Nepali team..and I can see us only going to great places from here.
This happens everywhere in the continent…and why it doesnt happen in Singapore..or USA!! Its because bloody expats mainly play the game..’Munis Arora, Mendis, Suryawanshi, Narendra Reddy, Hussien, Param’..wow the name sounds so Singapourean to me!! They dont even have one local player. So do they deserve it…no! Nepal has made a concious decision to include only Nepali players. So all Kudos to us.
And will we get to host the games again…for sure! Not only ACC but even ICC know how passionate we are about our cricket, both fans and players.
Let all savour this moment. The crowd ‘literally’ had to get behind the team to win!! And today we thrash USA in the final!!! Revenge time
Hey Noire, just for your info cause you sound pretty ignorant, Singapore is a multi racial country and we do have local players. I am from the Singapore National Team, and I respect the Nepalese Team a lot. Yesterday was a sad behavior from you guys and you guys only went through cause of the crowd. We do have local players, Anish Param, Riaz Hussein, and Jackie Manoj Kumar are born and bred in Singapore. What kind of names were you expecting. In case you forgot I batted the Nepalese team out and deprived them of a win when they visited Singapore scoring 50′s in both games. While Nepalese team is talented, you have to admit that you guys did not go through fair and square.
There are lot of Singaporians of Indian origin( born and brought up like Anish Param and Jacki Manoj Kumar) in Singapore, that is the ethnic makeup of Singapore(Chinese and Indian).