PNG stuns Nepal

Papua New Guinea U-19 defeated Nepal U-19 by eight wickets on Tuesday in a warm-up match before the U-19 Cricket World Cup.

Nepal elected to bat at the Albury Oval, Brisbane and put up 213 runs losing all the wickets in 43.3 overs but PNG met the target in 40.3 overs losing only two wickets.

PNG opener Lega Siaka (106 runs off 112 balls) put up a 77-run partnership with his opening partner Vagi Oala (35 runs off 68 balls) and shared 126-run second wicket partnership with Christopher Kent (unbeaten 55 runs off 54 balls).

Siaka hit 11 boundaries and four sixes before Rahul Vishvakarma claimed his wicket. Vishvakarma had claimed the wicket of Oala too.

Nepali pacers Krishna Karki proved to be most expensive. Karki gave away 58 runs bowling seven overs despite keeping two maiden overs.

Earlier, opener Subash Khakurel (68 runs off 85 balls) and Hasim Ansari (81 runs off 80 balls) guided Nepal to the total of 213 runs.

Khakurel and Pradeep Airee (25 runs off 19 balls) put up a 44-run opening stand. Airee lost his wicket in the second ball of the seventh over and the Nepali middle order except Ansari could not resist PNG attack. Ansari gave ray of hope to Nepal hitting 11 boundaries before Chad Soper claimed his wicket. Nepali tail-enders also failed to create any buzz. Except Khakurel, Airee and Ansari, no Nepali batsmen reached the score of double digits. Nepali Captain Prithu Baskota (1 run) was retired hurt just after starting his innings.

Soper took five wickets to demolish Nepal. His bowling figure was 7.3-2-22-5.

Nepal will take on New Zealand on Wednesday at the McMullin Oval, Sunshine Coast in their second warm-up match before the U-19 World Cup.

The U-19 World Cup is scheduled to kick off in Australia from Saturday (August 11). Nepal will take on Australia in their World Cup opener on Monday.

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