Every cloud has a silver lining.
Nepali left-arm seamer Mehboob Alam proved this age-old cliché to the delight of the millions of Nepalis on Sunday. After rain robbed Nepal of certain victory against Mozambique in its second group match of World Cricket League Division 5 tournament at the Grainville Ground in Jersey on Saturday, Alam made history by taking all 10 Mozambique wickets in the replay match today.
Nepal had bowled out Mozambique for 70 runs in 28.5 overs, but rain intervened when Nepal had scored just two runs off the first ball in reply, forcing a replay for today. However, this came as divine intervention for Nepal. Alam became the third bowler in international cricket to take all 10 wickets in an innings.
English off-spinner Jim Laker was the first taking 10/53 in the second innings of the fourth Ashes Test against Australia at Old Trafford in 1956, while Indian leg-spinner Anil Kumble emulated him by taking 10/74 in the second innings of Kotla Test against Pakistan in 1999.
However, in limited over cricket, Alam is the first bowler to take all 10 in the ICC sanctioned matches.
“I am very delighted at the unexpected return, even though the wickets were more suitable for me here. I produced a lot of swing and kept bowling a tight line and length. I am so delighted I made Nepal proud,” Alam told NepalCricket.com on IM.
He was accuracy personified as five of his victims were bowled, four were trapped lbw and the other edged to wicket-keeper Mahesh Chhetri. Such was his dominance that Mozambique was bowled out for 19 — arguably the lowest score in any form of international cricket — in just 14.5 overs chasing Nepal’s score of 238/7.
New Zealand’s total of 26 in 27 overs in the second innings of the Auckland Test on March 25, 1955, is the lowest ever team score in Test cricket while Zimbabwe’s total of 35 in 18 overs against Sri Lanka in Harare on April 25, 2004 is the lowest in ODIs.
He returned figures of 7.5-1-12-10 for the best ever return in international cricket.
“No, I never dreamt of getting 10 wickets and I am very enthusiastic about our upcoming matches against Norway and USA,” he said when asked if he ever dreamt of getting 10 wickets in a match.
All rounder Alam had earlier shone with the bat as well hammering 23 off just 13 balls as Nepal made 238/7 in the allotted 50 overs. The total was built around middle-order batsman Gyanendra Malla’s majestic 71. Malla added 73 runs with Shakti Gauchan (34 off 66) for the fourth wicket and 80 runs with Paras Khadka (44 off 50) for the fifth wicket to put Nepal back on track after it wobbled at 30/3 in 10.5 overs losing Paresh Lohani (9 off 26), Mahesh Chhetri (16 off 29) and Sharad Vesawkar (1 off 7).
Nepal faces Norway at the Farmers Field ground in its third match on Monday.