After several years, cricket finally returned to Tundikhel with the national cricketers playing a practice match today to test the newly laid cricket pitch. The match ended in a happier note with everyone satisfied with the wicket being prepared for hosting ACC Under-19 Cricket Tournament.
“Though the turn and bounce in the morning baffled me, the binding and compactness in it is good,” Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Development Officer Rumesh Ratnayake said after the match. “With a few days still remaining for the tournament, I feel it would be good allover by then.”
Ratnayake is in Nepal to oversee the preparation of the 15-nation event scheduled to begin on November 8. He watched the match between Kaniska XI – consisting of the Under-19 team going to represent Nepal in the event, and Binod XI – a team consisting three senior and other junior players.
National coach Roy Dias was also satisfied with the wicket and looked happier. “It will be fine after consistent watering and rolling,” Dias said. The Under-19 team also defeated Binod XI by seven wickets with captain Kaniska Chaugai getting 48 and off-form Sarad Vesawkar scoring unbeaten 30 against an attack that included national side’s Binod Das and Raju Basnet.
“During the morning due to little moisture it was hard to bat on but later turned flat making batting easier,” Binod said adding that the wicket seemed good for the first match on it. Binod, who scored unbeaten 56 to take his team to 131/8 in allotted 40 overs, was the first captain to win ACC U-19 Trophy at home back in 2001.
The two teams will also play a match each at the Birendra Sainik Awasiya Mahavidhyalaya Ground in Bhaktapur on Wednesday and Engineering Institute Ground in Lalitpur on Thursday to test the new pitches.
Brief Score: Binod XI 131/8 in 40 overs (Binod Das 56*, Raju Basnet 18, Nirmal Simangaida 16, Raj Shrestha 2/17) lost to Kaniska XI 132/3 in 37.4 overs (Kaniska Chaugai 48, Sarad Vesawkar 30*, Gyanendra Malla 17) by 7 wickets.