14 August 2006

NEPAL WAIT TO BEAT KUWAIT

Nawaz and Malik pinch a run

Kuwait v Nepal at Club Aman

NEPAL WON BY 6 WICKETS

The much-anticipated first day clash between ICC Associates Kuwait and Nepal saw a patient Nepal win by six wickets.

Batting first, whenever they threatened to break free Kuwait found themselves losing wickets . It was a terribly frustrating time for them on a wicket which favoured seam movement but had little bounce or carry. Moreover, for all their aggressive intention (sixteen 6s and one 6) the batsmen were kept in check by tight-set fields and adroit fielding, which prevented regular strike rotation and run-stealing.

Alam appealing for lbw against Nawaz

Nepal’s bowlers didn’t do anything more than just keep plugging away, though Shakti Gauchan who reeled off ten immaculate overs of right-arm wrist-spin in the middle of the innings for just 19 runs, severely put a dampener on the Kuwait batsmen’s ambitions. Gauchan has flight, height, turn and bounce along with a nagging line and until somebody decides to hit him off his length, he will dictate terms to any batsman.

Mohammed Nawaz (29), Jagath Roshantha (36) and Saud Qamar (44) all threatened to make substantially big scores but Nepal’s captain, Binod Kumar Das always had enough in his armoury to keep them in check. Some late-order lustiness from Shamshad Ahmed saw Kuwait lift their score and Hassan Arif saw Kuwait pass 200 and set Nepal a target of 205 to win.

Binod Das

What Nepal have in buckets these days, having come successfully through the fires of so many competitions, is confidence. And a target of a little more than 4 an over on an easy batting-track filled them with no worries. And Kuwait, a stronger batting side than a bowling one, tried hard for the vital early breakthroughs only to find their pace blunted first by the immaculate defence of openers Paresh Lohani (36), Gyanendra Malla (79) and then Sharad Vesawkar (62).

Nepal won without ever having to get into high gear, Gauchan hitting the winning runs with more than two overs to spare.

Kuwait v Nepal at Club Aman
NEPAL WON BY 6 WICKETS
Nepal: 208 for 4 in 47.1 overs ( P. Lohani 36, G.Malla 78, S. Vesawkar 62)
Kuwait: 204 for 7 off 50 overs (J. Roshantha 36, S. Qamar 44: B.K. Das 3-39)
Man of the Match: Gyanendra Malla (Nepal)

Points: Nepal 2, Kuwait 0