In the second unofficial T20 match between Nepal’s Senior side and Ireland Wolves were clashing on TU ground at Kirtipur. Nepal won the toss and elected to bat first. Fionn Hand started with the new ball for Ireland while long-time opening partners Kushal Bhurtel and Aasif Sheikh opened for Nepal.
Bhurtel started with a boundary in the first over with an aggressive approach. Ireland got an early breakthrough as Aasif departed early scoring 11 runs in 9 balls with 1 six and 1 four. Anil Shah came down at No. 3 for Nepal. Kushal Bhurtel also got caught by Delany in the fifth over after a quick fiery knock of 25 runs in 16 balls with 2 fours and 2 sixes. Nepal was 46/2 at the end of 5 over.
Gulshan Jha came down at No 4 to construct an inning for Nepal but Anil Shah departed early scoring 12 runs in 11 balls. He got caught by Doheny in the Fionn Hand’s over. After Anil’s dismissal, Skipper walked in for Nepal and played a constructive inning for Nepal with Gulshan Jha. Gulshan Jha became the top scorer for Nepal scoring 46 runs in 31 balls with 1 four and 4 sixes Nepal was 129/4 after the 14th over.
Gavin Hoey got his 1st wicket as Rohit Paudel got caught by Skipper Neil Rocka after scoring 33(24) with 4 fours. Kushal Malla Played an impactful knock of 34 runs in 13 balls including 1 four and 4 sixes at a strike rate of 261.53 before he got caught by Delany and Ben white got his second wicket. Nepal was 174/6 after Kushal’s dismissal.
Sundeep Jora and Bibek Yadav played quick fiery knocks in the last 3 overs for Nepal. Sundeep Scored 21 runs in just 10 balls including 3 fours and 1 six. Sundeep got caught by Ross Adair in the last ball of the first inning and Matthew Fosterend his spell for 4–0–42–3 with Sundeep’s wicket. In the end, Nepal gave a huge target of 199 runs to Ireland wolves.
THE RUNCHASE
Ross Adair and Stephen Doheny came out to open for Ireland. Both the openers approach aggressively in the run chase. Both openers looked calm and dealt with the boundaries with the Nepali bowler. The brilliant delivery by Sompal Kami to dismantle the partnership dismissed Doheny for just 26 runs in 13 balls including 4 fours and 1 six at a strike rate of 200. He got caught by Rohit Paudel.
Kushal Malla in the sixth over got another opener, Ross Adair for just 17(19). Morgan Topping and Cade Carmichael were two new men in the crease looking to construct an inning for Ireland. Both batters approached slowly as the asking rate got higher and reached almost 13 and the score was 71/2 after 10 over.
Ireland was in desperate need of a big over and Cade Carmichael tried to go big on Kushal Bhurtel but was caught by Anil Shah as Carmichael departed after playing 18 deliveries for 18 runs. Neil Rock was the new man in for Ireland as No 5 batter. Neil Rock tried to accelerate the inning but Neil got caught by Jora in the first ball of the 15th over bowled by Karan KC scoring 17 runs in 11 balls. Ireland were 108/4 at the end of 15 overs.
Kushal Malla trapped two big fish in the 16th over dismissing set man Morgan Topping for 21(26)with his slower delivery. Gavin Hoey was the new man but departed in the same over after Malla took a brilliant catch of his own bowling, Ireland were 110/6 at the end of over 16.
Ireland had already lost way in the run chase as the required run rate had exceeded more than 22 runs per over. The skipper brought new man Bibek Yadav into attack and Yadav didn’t upset his skipper as he dismissed Fionn Hand for just 5 runs. Ireland completely lost the way in the middle overs Sompal Kami Came to bowl the 19th over. Kami dismissed Liam McCarthy and Ben White in the next 2 deliveries.
A brilliant throw by Rohit Paudel to run out Gareth Delany in the next delivery and Ireland Got bowled out for just 127 runs in 18.3 overs. Nepal won the second match by 71 runs defeating Ireland Wolves in their home ground.
Karan KC, Bibek Yadav, and Kushal Bhurtel pick 1 wicket each. Sompal Kami picked up 3 wickets. Kushal Mall also picked up 3 wickets for Nepal.
Kushal Malla is the MAN OF THE MATCH for his fiery knock of 34 runs in 13 deliveries and brilliant bowling figure of 3/15 against Ireland Wolves.
Ireland Wolves will play 3 T20 series and 3OD series with Nepal A from March 28 as Nepal’s senior side is all set to go compete against Gujrat and Baroda for T20 World Cup preparation in India.