In a thrilling encounter at the TU Cricket Ground in Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal faced a narrow defeat against West Indies-A by a margin of 10 runs in the ongoing second match of the five-game friendly series. Despite a valiant effort from the Nepalese side, they could not chase down the target of 161, finishing their innings at 150/9 after 20 overs.
The match began with the visitors winning the toss and opting to bat first. Although West Indies-A encountered an early setback by losing their openers, Johnson Charles and Alick Athanaze, at 11 and six runs respectively, Andre Fletcher’s resilient innings of 43 runs off 36 deliveries provided stability. Roston Chase’s contribution of 23 runs, coupled with Gudakesh Motie’s explosive knock of 33 runs off just eight balls, propelled the visitors to a competitive total of 160/7.
Nepal’s bowling effort saw Sagar Dhakal and Kushal Bhurtel claiming two wickets each, while Sompal Kami and Dipendra Singh Airee managed to grab a wicket apiece.
In pursuit of the target, Nepal faced early setbacks as opener Kushal Bhurtel departed for two runs, followed by Anil Sah for just one run. Despite Lokesh Bam’s promising start, scoring 17 runs with fluent stroke play, the team struggled to build substantial partnerships. However, skipper Rohit Kumar Paudel showcased his class again with an unbeaten half-century, scoring 71 runs off 48 balls. A brief cameo from Gulsan Jha, who scored 25 runs off 11 balls, injected some excitement, but Nepal ultimately fell short and ended their innings at 150/9.
West Indies-A’s bowling attack, led by Gudakesh Motie and Obed McCoy with two wickets each, supported by Oshane Thomas and Roston Chase, proved instrumental in securing victory for the visiting team. With this win, West Indies-A has leveled the five-match series 1-1, setting the stage for an exciting remainder of the series.
