- The Netherlands defeated Nepal by six wickets in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2 after chasing a modest 158-run target.
- Dutch captain Scott Edwards scored an unbeaten 61 runs, anchoring a match-winning partnership with Noah Croes to secure the victory.
- Nepal's batting struggles continued as they were bowled out for 157, with Arif Sheikh top-scoring with 41 runs.
- This loss marks Nepal's second consecutive defeat in the tournament following a previous heavy loss against Namibia.
Kathmandu, Nepal: Nepal suffered another defeat in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2 as the home team Netherlands secured a comfortable six-wicket victory over Nepal. The Netherlands chased down Nepal's modest target of 158 runs in 44.1 overs, losing four wickets with 35 balls remaining.
Captain and wicketkeeper Scott Edwards played a match-winning innings for the Netherlands. He remained unbeaten on 61 runs off 89 balls, hitting two fours and one six. Noah Croes provided excellent support, scoring an unbeaten 34 runs off 59 balls. Their unbeaten fifth-wicket partnership became the foundation of the Netherlands' victory.
Earlier in the chase, Netherlands opener Cedric de Lange scored 21 runs, Jacques Lion-Cachet contributed 21 runs, and Max O'Dowd added nine runs, while Bas de Leede was dismissed for just one run. For Nepal, Sompal Kami, Dipendra Singh Airee, and Lalit Rajbanshi took one wicket each, while Karan KC ran out Jacques Lion-Cachet.
Nepal's Weak Batting Continues
Earlier, Nepal, who were invited to bat first after losing the toss, were bowled out for 157 runs in 44.4 overs. Arif Sheikh was Nepal's top scorer, making 41 runs off 90 balls with the help of four boundaries.
Gulshan Jha scored 29 runs off 42 balls, including one four and two sixes, while Dipendra Singh Airee contributed 21 runs off 42 balls. Lower-order batter Karan KC remained unbeaten on 13 runs, while Asif Sheikh and Sompal Kami scored 14 and 10 runs respectively.
Nepal's top-order batters once again failed to provide a strong start. Opener Kushal Bhurtel was dismissed for nine runs, Ishan Pandey scored four runs, captain Rohit Paudel returned to the pavilion after scoring only three runs, and Sandeep Lamichhane was dismissed without scoring.
The Netherlands' bowlers maintained tight control throughout Nepal's innings, keeping the batters under constant pressure. Alexander Roy was the pick of the Netherlands' bowling attack, taking three wickets, while Logan van Beek and Roelof van der Merwe claimed two wickets each. Kyle Klein took one wicket.
The defeat highlighted Nepal's continued batting struggles. In their previous match, Nepal had also suffered a heavy eight-wicket defeat against Namibia. The team will now need significant improvement in its batting performance to bounce back in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2 campaign.
