By a Staff Reporter
Kathmandu (HamroKhelkud) – Nepal Men’s Cricket Team have won the two-match T20 series against Ireland Wolves, the deputy Irish side. Nepal registered a 71-run win in the second match to win the series 2-0.
The Irish side, chasing a mammoth target of 199 runs in 20 overs, could only conjure up 127 runs in 18.3 overs, losing all of their wickets. Stephen Doheny’s 13-ball 26 was the top score for the travelling contingent. Similarly, Morgan Topping made a 26-ball steady 21, Cade Carmichael got 18, skipper Neil Rock and Ross Adair reached 17 each and Gareth Delany added 15 runs to the total.
Sompal Kami and Kushal Malla took three wickets each for Nepal while Karan KC, Kushal Bhurtel and Bibek Yadav chipped in with one wicket each.
Earlier, winning the toss and opting to bat first at the TU International Cricket Ground, Nepal posted a massive total of 198 runs at the loss of seven wickets in 20 overs. Gulshan Jha’s 32-ball 46-run inning that comprised one four and four sixes was the highest score for Nepal.
Kushal Malla’s 13-ball flurry of 34 runs with one four and four sixes took Nepal closer to 200. Skipper Rohit Paudel got to 33 runs off 24 runs while Sundeep Jora also contributed 21 odd 10 deliveries. Opener Kushal Bhurtel had earlier scored 25 off 16 with two fours and two sixes. Anil Sad added 12 runs to the total and Aasif Sheikh got to 11 runs. Bibek Yadav remained unbeaten on seven runs.
Matthew Foster got three Nepali wickets to his name while Ben White received two scalps and Fionn Hand and Gavin Hoey took one wickets each.
The Nepali side will travel to Gujarat, India for a Tri-Series against Gujarat and Baroda kicking off in three days’ time. This was also the last scheduled home outing for the Nepali side before the ICC T20 World Cup in June.