Nepal’s dream run continues, enter semifinals

BY NARAYAN UPADHYAY

Kathmandu, Oct.12: Nepal continued its dream run at the Under-19 Asian Youth Cricket Cup as it recorded yet another comprehensive seven wicket victory against Singapore at the Tribhuwan University Ground today

The victory earned the hosts a place in semifinals of the eight-team competition, the winner of which will book a berth in the Youth World Cricket Cup to be held in New Zealand next year. Nepal, with today’s consecutive win became first team from Pool B to secure the semifinal’s place

In today’s match against city-state of Singapore, Nepalese youngsters, led by medium pace bowler captain Binod Das, justified their decision to field first. Captain Das today bowled excellently to dispatch four of Singaporean batsmen. Das later was judged the Himalayan Bank man of the match by the match referee, Hasan.

The Nepalese bowlers Das, medium pacer Pramod Basnet and Manjit Shrestha along with left arm spinner Lakpa Lama and Sanjam Regmi restricted Singapore to 114 (all out in 49.5 overs).

Singaporean openers Glen Meyer and N. Balakrishnan felt the heat of Nepal’s tight bowling and fielding and were runout in their attempt to steal singles. Despite opening cautiously, Singapore openers found it hard to score against the pace of Das and Pramod.

The Singapore middle orders also came under pressure from spinners Lakpa and Regmi and started to falter as diminutive Lakpa weaved a web and enticing to lose their wickets at the regular intervals. Apart from Rajesh Lakhawar who hit a patient 40 runs before falling to Das in cutter, no other Singapore batsmen could do much to speed up their scoring.

Nepalese openers, Subedi and Chaugai, showed some sparkle as both of them hit one four each in the first two overs.

However, a rush of blood in Subedi led the fall of his wicket in the second overs when the youngster tried to smash Prasanthan out of ground and opened his middle stump. Later young Subedi was seen crying over his folly.

The Subedi mistakes really opened Nepalese relatively shaky batting lineups and its batsmen’s propensity to commit unforced mistakes to lose wickets. For today’s win, Nepal must give credit for its luck as its four batsmen got plenty of life through squandered catches by Singaporean fielders.

Singaporeans dropped four chances against Chaugai (31) and two against Bardan (37). If the chances were not lost, Nepal could not have had the match easily. Singaporeans again dropped chances against Basudev Thapa(10 not out) while patient Shakti hit the winning runs for Nepal and remained not out at 15. Nepal will next face minnows Maldives in the third fixture at Engineering Institute Ground.

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