Winning the toss, Nepal decided to bat first and scored 236 in limited 50 overs losing their seven wickets. In reply, the defending champions Hong Kong were all out for 118 runs in 33.3 overs. [break]
Once again, Nepal failed to give a good opening start. Nepali opener Mahesh Chhetri returned pavilion scoring just two runs in the first over of the innings. However, Anil Mandal and Shakti Gauchan added 118 runs for the second wicket -- the best Nepali partnership for that wicket to create the foundation.
Man-of-the-match Mandal and Gauchan both completed their half centuries. Mandal played 96 balls for 72 runs and Gauchan scored 65 off 93 balls. Mandal struck eight boundaries and three sixes while Gauchan hit six boundaries. Mandal, who was playing only third match from national side, hit two consecutive sixes to Jawaid Iqbal to reach half-century mark playing 65 balls.
In the middle order, Captain Paras Khadka and Sharad Vesawkar could not carry the momentum and were out for one and four runs respectively.
Mehboob Alam (31) and Dipendra Chaudhary (28 not out) got quick runs to accelerate the run-rate. Binod Das got 11 not out while Basanta Regmi contributed 10 runs. Hong Kong"s Nadeem Ahmed grabbed three wickets.
In reply, Hong Kong were on the back foot as Mehboob Alam grabbed three and Binod Das got one. Basanta Regmi later took two wickets while Paras Khadka, Rahul Bishvakarma and Shakti Gauchan claimed a wicket each. Ilyas Gul was the only batsman who showed some resistance against Nepali bowling attack and topscored with 27 runs.
“We just need to keep on winning,” said Paras who felt that Nepal could have scored more. “In other competitions we"ve just lost one game and found ourselves out. We just need to win all of them this time.”
Roy Lamsam, Hong Kong"s captain felt his batsmen let him down, “There was too much inexperience. On this track, we should have scored a lot more. We bowled and fielded well but we really need to play better”
Nepal will next meet Oman at the same venue on April 2.
Budhaair replaces Malla
Reserve player Naresh Budhaair is to replace Vice-captain Gyanendra Malla, who could not go to Kuwait as the host country denied him visa. Budhaair will fly to Kuwait on Thursday.
Cricket Association is sending Budhaair after telephone talk between chief-selector Bijay Kumar Sharma and Coach Roy Luke Dias. This is the first occasion for the Far-western cricketer in the one-day national squad.
Visa terror
Kuwait denied visa to Nepali Vice-captain Malla stating that his name was wrongly spelt on the original form. Malla"s visa application was rejected three times during the process. However, he could not get the visa.
Likewise, Hong Kong"s players were without their regular captain Najeeb Amar in the match against Nepal, since he was stopped at the airport for the second day in a row citing visa problem.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan"s Vice-captain Muhammad Nabi failed to arrive Kuwait, because his visa applications have also been rejected for unspecified reasons.
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