West Indies A end Nepal tour with five-match T20 series win 3-2
May 04, 2024
Kathmandu [Nepal], May 4 : West Indies A concluded their tour of Nepal with a five-match T20 series 3-2 win after the home side stunned the visitors in the last game to register six wickets victory at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur on Saturday.
Nepal's Sagar Dhakal and Sompal Kami starred with the bowl as they restricted the visitors, who chose to bat first, to 173 runs in 20 overs. In reply, Aasif Sheikh and Anil Sah cracked half-centuries helping the hosts to chase down the target in 18.5 overs.
Despite a minor setback after losing opener Kushal Bhurtel to Hayden Walsh off Obed McCoy in 1.4 overs, Nepali players remained afloat as Bhurtel's opening partner and wicketkeeper Sheikh smashed two hits to the fences and five maximums to put 51 runs off 35 balls on the scoreboard.
The right-handed batter also shared a half-century stand with Anil Sah before the partnership was broken by McCoy in 13.3 overs. Sah muscled four hits to the fences and maximums each as he top-scored with 59 runs in his 45-knock play.
The Nepali innings slowed down after Sah was dismissed in 16.2 overs and Dipendra Singh Airee caught for a 6-ball 5 but picked right back up as Kushal Malla played a quickfire 18-ball 37 to end the game.
Earlier, visitors started slow after losing opener Kadeem Alleyne to Nepal's Sagar Dhakal in 1.4 overs. The slow left-arm orthodox bowler proved a thorn in West Indies A's flesh as he continued his haul, removing another opener, Johnson Charles, and Mark Deyal for eleven runs each. They faced 6 and 19 deliveries respectively.
West Indies A were down 3-80 after losing captain Roston Chase, who muscled five hits to the fences as he posted a 23-ball 33 before being caught by Sundeep Jora off Abinash Bohara, in 13.3 overs.
Alick Athanaze and Matthew Forde (23) attempted to turn the game in their favour but lucked out as Sompal Kami brought a four-over three-wicket haul giving away just 16 runs.
Forde faced 13 deliveries before being caught by Kushal Bhurtel while Fabian Allen and Gudakesh Motie were removed cheaply for 3 and 1 respectively. Athanaze ended the game with an unbeaten 42, including four and three maximums.
