The home team, which lost the first match of the ongoing series against Scotland, will gain confidence from this victory. Kathmandu, May 16 – Under pressure in the ICC World Cup Cricket League 2, the Nepali team achieved a remarkable win against the United States on Saturday. The Nepalese bowlers dominated the American batsmen, and in response, opener Kushal Bhurtel played the hero’s role. Bhurtel, who had been out of form recently and benched in previous matches, seized the opportunity today by scoring a century, amassing 120 runs.
At the Tribhuvan University Cricket Ground, the USA won the toss and elected to bat first, posting 195 runs in 43.3 overs. Opener Smit Patel was the top scorer for the USA, contributing 84 runs. Although the American team looked poised to chase a target of 300 at one point with a score of 122 for 1, Nepal’s bowlers and fielders launched a courageous comeback, dismissing the entire US side for 195 runs by the 44th over. Vice-captain Dipendra Singh Airee took four wickets, Sompal Kami claimed two, while Sandeep Lamichhane and Gulshan Jha got one wicket each, along with two run-outs.
After restricting the USA to a modest total, Nepal’s opening batsmen, Kushal Bhurtel and Asif Sheikh, laid a solid foundation with a 145-run partnership. Bhurtel completed his century, while Asif contributed a half-century with 58 runs. Following Asif’s dismissal, Nischan Pandey joined Bhurtel and supported him until the end to secure the victory. Nepal reached the target in 36.4 overs of the 50-over match. Nepal will face Scotland again on Monday for the next game in the series.
