Kathmandu: In a gripping encounter, Nepal secured a thrilling three-run victory over Namibia in the fourth match of the tri-nations T20I series. Restricting Namibia to 177 runs in the scheduled 20 overs, Nepal successfully defended their total of 180 runs.
The Nepali bowlers played a crucial role, claiming seven wickets in the thrilling contest. Karan KC, Dipendra Singh Airee, and Sompal Kami each took two wickets, while Avinash Bohra contributed with one wicket.
Noteworthy performances from Namibian batsmen included JJ Satshit’s 50 runs in 26 balls, Jan Frylik’s 37 runs in 29 balls, JP Kotzi’s 25 runs, and Jane Green’s contribution of 23 runs. Ben Shikongo emerged as a key figure for Namibia, securing three crucial wickets, supported by Jack Brussell who took two wickets. Nicol Loftie-Eaton and Bernard Scholtz each claimed one wicket.
Opting to bat first after losing the toss, Nepal’s innings featured a stellar performance by Kushal Malla, who scored a half-century with 55 runs. Aarif Sheikh, Gulsan Jha, and Anil Kumar Shah also made significant contributions with scores of 31, 26, and 23 runs, respectively.
This victory was crucial for Nepal in the triangular series with the Netherlands and Namibia, earning them two points on the series points table. Despite previous defeats against Namibia and the Netherlands, Nepal now holds the second position, with the Netherlands leading the table with four points after defeating both Nepal and Namibia.
Namibia, having won their first match against Nepal, also has two points, but Nepal secures the second position based on the net run rate. Both Nepal and Namibia are set to play one more game against the Netherlands, and the series finale will feature the top two teams in the points table.