Monthly Archives: April 2009

Four-time defending champions Nepal settled for third place in the ACC U-19 Elite Cup after defeating Qatar by seven wickets in the third-place playoff at Hubara Ground, Kuwait. Electing to field, Nepal bowled out Qatar for 142 runs in 43 overs. In reply, Nepal reached the target in 29 overs with seven wickets at their disposal.

Afghanistan ended Nepal’s decade-long dominance in the Asian non-Test U-19 level registering a six-wicket win that stopped the four-time champions from entering the finals for the first time in 10 years. Nepal, aiming to clinch the ACC U-19 Cup fifth time in a row, bowed out at the Hubara Ground, Kuwait.

Hong Kong ended Nepal’s unbeaten streak in the ACC U-19 Elite Cup Cricket on Monday defeating the four time champions by 36 runs. Nepal hadn’t lost a mach in the tournament since their defeat against Bangladesh in 1999.

Although not very convincingly, Nepal defeated Singapore by three wickets at Hubara Ground, Kuwait to qualify for the semifinals of the ACC U-19 Elite Cup 2009. Singapore scored 171 in 49.5 overs – a score that Nepal surpassed in 44.5 overs with three wickets remaining.

“What shall we do to beat Nepal?” Malaysian coach Haris Bakar asked after six-wicket defeat against Nepal despite scoring 203 in the ACC U-19 Elite Cup at Unity Ground, Kuwait on Thursday. It was Malaysia’s seventh loss, including three in finals, at this level against Nepal. Led by Keithan Goonasagaran’s 90, Malaysia scored 203 in 46.5 overs, a score that Nepal chased in 46.4 overs losing just four wickets – thanks to captain’s knock by Gyanendra Malla.

Amrit Bhattarai proved he is more than a pacer when he batted Nepal to a 137-run victory over Saudi Arabia in the opening match of the ACC U-19 Elite Cup 2009 in Kuwait on Wednesday. Four-time defending champions Nepal was struggling 76/7 in 20 overs before No 9 Amrit rescued Nepal with stunning 82 runs.

For next two weeks, Gyanendra Malla faces an unprecedented task of his cricketing career that, if he succeeds, will establish him as a hero of Nepali cricket. But for the U-19 captain, the failure in the upcoming ACC U-19 Elite Cup means the inability to keep up what his preceding captains did to establish the nation as the strongest associate cricket playing team in the world map.

Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) appointed Gyanendra Malla the caption of the Nepali team participating in the ACC U-19 Elite Cup 2009.