Kathmandu, September 23
Nepal suffered its third consecutive defeat in the ICC World Cup Cricket League-2, currently taking place in Canada.
In their latest encounter, Nepal was beaten by five wickets in a match held this morning at King City. Previously, Nepal had faced a heavy defeat against Canada by 103 runs in the first triangular series match.
Chasing a target of 182 runs today, Canada comfortably reached the goal in 42 overs, losing just five wickets. Canadian batsmen Navneet Dhaliwal and Pragat Singh scored half-centuries, anchoring the successful chase.
Although opener Aaron Johnson was dismissed without scoring, Dhaliwal and Pragat established a crucial 122-run partnership for the second wicket. Dhaliwal emerged as the top scorer, amassing 87 runs off 113 balls, including eight fours and four sixes, while Pragat contributed 64 runs from 83 balls, with seven fours and two sixes. Harsh Thakar and Nicholas Kirtan chipped in with 13 and 11 runs, respectively.
For Nepal, Sandeep Lamichhane was the most effective bowler, taking two wickets, while Karan KC, Gulshan Jha, and Lalit Rajbanshi each claimed one wicket.
Earlier, Nepal, having won the toss and elected to bat, managed to score 181 runs before being all out in 46.1 overs. Sandeep Lamichhane topped Nepal’s scoring with 49 runs from 48 balls, marking his highest score in an ODI. He hit five fours and a six in what became his best batting performance to date, surpassing his previous highest score of 35 not out against Papua New Guinea in 2023.
Gulshan Jha added 34 runs from 56 balls, including two fours and two sixes, while Karan KC and Sompal Kami contributed 24 and 21 runs, respectively. Arjun Saud and Arif Sheikh made 10 runs each, with Bhim Sarki and captain Rohit Poudel managing just four runs apiece.
Canada’s bowling attack was led by Kaleem Sana, who took three wickets. Harsh Thaker and Dilon Hayliger each claimed two wickets, while Praveen Kumar and Saadwin Zafar took one wicket apiece.
Nepal is set to play its final match of the triangular series against Oman on Tuesday.
