Nepal registered a huge 227-run victory over Singapore on Friday to set up final with Air India in the Sagarmatha Cement Journey to World Cup Cricket tournament, organized to help Nepal’s preparation for the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers.
Singapore won the toss at the TU Cricket Ground, Kirtipur and put Nepal into batting. Nepal put up a mammoth total of 313/5 in allotted 45 overs as Sharad Vesawkar blasted 91 runs off just 45 balls.
In reply, Singapore was all out for mere 86 runs as pacer Som Pal Kami and veteran spinner Raj Kumar Pradhan claimed three wickets each.
Nepali openers Subash Khakurel and Anil Mandal produced a 125-run partnership and gave a platform to the rest of the batsmen to excel. Mandal garnered 58 runs off 80 balls including four boundaries and two sixes. Khakurel struck a run-a-ball 75 hitting 10 boundaries. Gyanendra Malla, the stand-in captain as Paras Khadka was given rest for the match, added 48 runs off 48 balls. Malla hit five boundaries.
Vesawkar, who earned the reputation of match-winner during the recently concluded ICC World T20 Qualifiers, came blazing all his guns and played a blistering knock. Vesawkar clobbered eight sixes and four boundaries. He struck five sixes in a single over bowled by Vijay Kumar Saladore. In the 39th over, he pulled 30 runs. Vesawkar struck two sixes in the last two balls of the innings to Amjad Mehboob.
Man-of-the-match Sharad Vesawkar.
Prithu Baskota chipped in with 18 runs off 19 balls down the order.
Amjad Mehboob and Vijay Kumar Saladore took two wickets each while Singapore captain Saad Khan Janjua claimed one.
Singapore never got a chance to settle while chasing the huge total. Anish Edward Param (19 runs) and Saladore (12 runs) were only the batsmen to produce double-digit scores.
Besides Kami and Pradhan, Jitendra Mukhiya and Basant Regmi claimed two wickets each. It was a comeback match for Pradhan, who had left Nepal in 2010 for foreign employment.
Vesawkar was adjudged man-of-the-match for his fierce batting.
In the final on Saturday, Nepal will take on Air India, which it had defeated in the league round.
Air India beat Delhi Wanderers by 39 runs on Friday at the Pulchowk Engineering Ground. Batting first, Air India was all out for 177 runs in 35.2 overs. In reply, Delhi Wanderers bundled out for 138 runs in 33.3 overs as Faruk Sheikh claimed four wickets.