Cricket

Nepal beat the United Arab Emirates by three wickets at the TU Cricket Ground on Wednesday to level the three-match series at 1-1. The final match of the series will be on Friday.

The visitors, who chose to bat first, were bowled out for 191  in 43.2 overs. Nepal scored 193 in 47.5 overs, losing seven wickets.

Nepal had a shaky start to their chase, losing four wickets for 54 runs. Arjun Saud, who scored a fifty in the opening match on Monday, fell with scoring. Nepal found themselves in trouble after Aasif Sheikh and skipper Rohit Poudel also fell cheaply, making six and eight runs, respectively. 

Then, Gyanendra Malla was run out for 26. Kushal Bhurtel and Dipendra Singh Airee were the next to go. Airee was dismissed for 13, while Bhurtel scored 35 from 52 balls with six fours.

Just as the UAE were starting to sniff a series win, Nepal’s lower-order batters Aarif Sheikh and Gulsan Jha put on a 62-run partnership for the seventh wicket to the cusp. Jha, who scored a match-winning knock of 37 from 49 balls, was declared player of the match.

Aarif, who remained unbeaten on 33 from 58 balls, and Sompal Kami (16) brought the team home.

Earlier, the UAE made a bright start as openers Muhammad Waseem and Vriitya Aravind shared a 72-run partnership for the first wicket. After that, Aravind was dismissed for 25, while Waseem completed his fifty in 46 balls with three fours and four sixes.

Middle-order batters Alishan Sharafu scored 35, Chundangapoyil Rizwan (22), Basil Hameed (24) and Vishnu Sukumaran (15) to keep the UAE momentum. But the tail failed to wag, and their innings ended at 191.

Nepali bowlers exploited the overcast condition well to generate seam movement. Sompal Kami and Lalit Rajbanshi picked up three wickets each, while Karan KC, Gulsan Jha, Dipendra Singh Airee and Kushal Bhurtal took one each.