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GLASGOW: Kushal Bhurtel 65 and Aarif Sheikh unbeaten 39* powered Nepal to an emphatic win over the Netherlands here at Titwood on Thursday in the fifth match of the tri-series.
Chasing a 175-run target, Nepal hit the winning runs on the second last ball of the penultimate over with six wickets in hand.
Following Aasif Sheikh’s departure in the second over, Kushal Bhurtel partnered with Bhim Sharki for a 54-run stand. The duo batted briskly, bringing the score to 76 in 8.1 overs.
However, the marching partnership ended with Sharki’s wicket, clean bowled after scoring 16 ball 27 with the help of a six and two boundaries.
Nepal captain Rohit Paudel’s (5) short stay came to an end in the 11th over as Scotland reduced them to 97-3.
Meanwhile, Kushal Bhurtel held firm, forging a match-defining 44-run partnership with Aarif Sheikh. The duo brought the team’s score to 141 in 15.4 overs.
Kushal Bhurtel top scored with 61 off 51 deliveries, striking half a dozen fours.
With the match entering the last phase of the innings, the wicket of well-set Bhurtel brought the Netherlands back into the game, but it was Sheikh who steered Nepal to a victory with his 39 off just 23 balls.
The right-hander smashed two sixes and three fours in his brisk knock.
For the Netherlands, Roelof van der Merwe, Aryan Dutt and Ben Fletched bagged one wicket each.
Earlier, after being put into bat, the Netherlands scored 174-7 in their allocated 20 overs despite a shambolic batting display from the middle order.
The Netherlands were 45-4 at the end of the powerplay, but it was a quick-fire 63-run partnership of 33 balls between Michael Levitt and Saqib Zulfiqar that took them to 108 at the halfway stage of the innings.
Michael Levitt stood with the bat again, scoring a gutsy knock of 86 runs on 53 balls with the aid of five sixes and six fours.
But it was Roelof van der Merwe’s cameo of 36 runs that gave the Netherlands late impetus. The experienced batter hit a 21-ball knock, featuring four boundaries and a six.
For Nepal, Karan KC was the standout bowler, taking two wickets in his four overs.
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