Nepal slumped to its first defeat in the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifiers on Monday as Scotland finally got off the mark with an eight-wicket victory at the Global Cricket Academy Ground 2 in Dubai, UAE.
Opener Calum McLeod starred for the ODI team smashing an unbeaten 82 runs as Scotland achieved the target of 138 runs with four balls to spare for its first win in three matches. Kyle Coetzer remained unbeaten on 20 runs and Matt Machan contributed 28 runs. It was the first meeting between the national teams of the two countries.
McLeod hammered three sixes and five fours during his 64-ball knock. Similarly, Machan struck a six and three fours facing 19 deliveries.
Nepal´s skipper Paras Khadka and Basanta Regmi took one wicket each. Sagar Pun was the most expensive bowler giving away 17 runs in his two-over spell, while Amrit Bhattarai conceded 29 runs in his four overs.
Earlier, put into bat first after losing the toss, Nepal could not make a good start and was 35/3 in 5.5 overs. But skipper Khadka once again consolidated the Nepali innings adding 42 runs for the fourth wicket with Binod Bhandari before the latter´s dismissal. Bhandari topscored for Nepal with 28 off 27 and Khadka added 27 off 24 as Nepal reached 137/7.
Bhandari struck two sixes and two fours while Khadka scored a six and two fours. Sharad Vesawkar (16 off 19), Basanta Regmi (unbeaten 13 off 7), opener Sagar Pun (11 off 13) and Gyanendra Malla (14 off 17) were the other batsmen to reach double figures.
Nepal suffered an early blow as opener Sagar Pun (11) and Gyanendra Malla (14) were out on the third and fifth balls of the fifth over bowled by Gordon Goudie. Another opener Subash Khakurel was out on the second ball of the second over scoring only six runs.
Safyaan Sharif and Goudie of Scotland claimed three wickets each. Sharif gave away 19 runs in his four-over spell while Goudie conceded 29 runs. Iain Wardlaw took one wicket but was hammered for 31 runs in his four overs.
Nepal had defeated Denmark by five wickets in the opener on Friday and Kenya by six wickets in the second match on Saturday.
Nepal faces Papua New Guinea in its fourth match on Tuesday in Sharjah.