Nepal started its ACC U-17 Elite Cup campaign with a thumping 104-run win over Qatar at the Institute of Engineering Ground, Pulchowk on Wednesday.
Skipper Prithu Baskota vindicated his decision to bat first topscoring with 38 runs as Nepal posted a challenging total of 208/8 in the allotted 40 overs. His bowlers then proved the total to be impregnable dismissing the Qataris for 104 runs in 23.5 overs despite a majestic 72 from captain Tamoor Sajjad.
“It´s good to start with a win and get 200 runs. But the batsmen threw their wickets away after getting starts and the bowlers got excited after their skipper started to attack,” Nepal´s Sri Lankan coach Roy Dias said in his typical fashion after the match pointing at the scopes for improvement.
Nepal made a confident start adding 45 runs inside the first 10 overs through openers Sagar Pun and Kriten Gurung. Pun made 23 off 38 balls with three boundaries that included a cheeky Tendulkaresque upper-cut over the slip cordon but perished while trying to repeat the stroke off new ball bowler Rahul Ramesh presenting a routine catch to wicketkeeper Taha Muhammad.
Gurung then consolidated Nepal´s innings with his skipper adding 51 runs for the second wicket. Gurung played a few streaky shots along with some assured ones before being trapped lbw by spinner Ali Ishtiaq for 38 off 63 with six fours. Hard-hitting batsman Pradeep Airee was dismissed in the same over for two as Ishtiaq repeated the dose three balls later to revive Qatar´s hopes. But Baskota added another 50 runs for the fourth wicket in company of Nischal Chaudhary to put Nepal on its way to a commanding total.
Baskota played elegantly for his 38 made off 53 balls with six pleasant boundaries playing strokes all around the wicket. He was stumped off his opposite number while trying to up the ante. But Chaudhary continued the good work going on to make 34 off 48 and keeper batsman Akash Pariyar played a 13-ball cameo of 22 hitting four fours to take Nepal beyond the 200 mark.
“We made a good start and went on to make a good score that our bowlers could defend,” Baskota said.
Sajjad, Ramesh and Ishtiaq took a couple of wickets each for Qatar.
Chasing a formidable total, the Qatari batsmen were all at sea against the skillful Nepali bowlers with Sajjad being a glorious exception. Opening bowler Krishna Karki scalped three wickets in his first spell while his partner Avinash Karn was superb in his opening spell though it yielded just one wicket.
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“Pace bowling of Nepal was very good. The left-armer (Karn) was extraordinary and showed excellent skills to find yorkers regularly. It is not possible to have such skills at such an early age,” Qatar coach Mohammad Amjad Baig was lavish in praise of Nepali bowlers after assessing that Nepal made such a good total as only two of his four spinners clicked.
Spinner Bhuwan Karki also got three wickets in between the hammering from Sajjad while Airee made up for his batting failure chipping in with two wickets. Bhuwan may have had the last laugh when a tumbling Airee held on to Sajjad´s skier at cover on third attempt but Sajjad had already shown who the real master was clouting him for two his three massive sixes.
Sajjad, who has played in four tournaments for his senior national side, played power-packed shots to complete his fifty off 68 balls and went on to make 72 off 84 hitting 10 fours before being the last man to be dismissed. He seemed at equal ease dealing with both pace and spin and without his massive contribution the match would have ended much earlier and painfully for Qatar.
“Batting is always crucial. I have experience but all the other players were playing their first match on turf wicket as we don´t have facilities and grounds back home,” Sajjad, who was the runaway winner for the man-of-the-match award, tried to put things into perspective.
Sulaiman Khan and Abdul Rehman, who were the only two Qatari nationals in the squad full of Pakistanis and Indians, seemed to be just making the numbers to satisfy ICC regulations and came in at No 10 and 11 to bat having not bowled during Nepal´s completed innings of 40 overs.
Photos: Udipt Singh Chhetry/NepalSportsPhoto.com