Nepal came out all guns blazing and outplayed full-member nation West Indies in all facets of the game. Coming into this match with a 1-0 series lead, Nepal did not take the foot off the pedal and outclassed West Indies from the word go. Winning the toss and deciding to bat first, Nepal rode on an unbeaten 68 from Aasif Sheikh and a 63 from Sundeep Jora to post a healthy 173/6 in 20 overs.
While defending the score, Nepal rode on Aadil Ansari’s 4-wicket haul and Kushal Bhurtel’s 3-wicket haul to skittle West Indies out for 83 in 17.1 overs. This is the lowest score by a full-member nation against an associate nation and the biggest win by an associate nation against a Test playing nation. Nepal’s cricket is on the rise while the West Indies hit new low in Sharjah for sure.
Aasif Sheikh & Sundeep Jora’s sparkling half-centuries takes Nepal to 173/6.
Winning the toss and deciding to bat first, Kushal Bhurtel and Aasif Sheikh came out to bat for Nepal while Jediah Blades had ball in hand for the West Indies. Sheikh made his intentions clear getting off the mark with a boundary by glancing it past the diving fielder for a boundary. Captain Akeal Hosein took the ball from the other end. He got West Indies the breakthrough getting rid of Bhurtel for 2 off 4 balls.
Hosein bowled a short of a length delivery on the stumps, Bhurtel hung back and looked to flick it away but missed it completely. He wore it on the front pad right in front of the middle stumps as the umpire gave him out quickly. Captain Rohit Paudel came out to bat next and got off the mark soon. Blades continued and bowled a decent over. Akeal then got rid of his opposite number as Rohit Paudel fell cheaply for 3 off 10 balls.
Hosein bowled another arm ball on a good length around the off-stump that kept coming back in with the arm. Paudel looked to hoick it into the leg side but missed it completely and saw the ball crash on the leg stump. Kushal Malla came out to bat next. He got off the mark as well. Jason Holder was next introduced into the attack. Aasif Sheikh welcomed him with a boundary through the covers. Malla too hit him back over the bowler’s head for a boundary.
Hosein decided to bowl another over inside the powerplay. Sheikh took the attack to the West Indies captain hitting him for back-to-back boundaries. He was not done yet as he rounded off the over with another boundary over mid-off. At the end of the powerplay, Nepal were 39/2 in 6 overs as West Indies were the happier side at this stage heading into the middle phase of the game.
Holder continued as we saw Malla being run out for 7 off 9 balls with a boundary to his name. There was miscommunication between the two batters as Malla was halfway down the track and was sent back. He dived at the bowler’s end but could not make his ground. Sundeep Jora came out to bat next. Navin Bidaisee came into the attack next. Sheikh managed to hit a boundary by driving it through covers. The debutant Zishan Motara came into the attack next for the West Indies and was greeted by a boundary over covers by Shaikh.
Jora got into the act smashing the debutant for back-to-back boundaries through deep midwicket and deep square leg. Jora then hit Bidaisee past the cover fielder as the ball went away to the fence. After 10 overs at the halfway stage of the innings, Nepal were 74/3 and in a much better position than what they were after powerplay. The players took Drinks at this stage.
Fabian Allen came into the attack after the break. Sheikh hit him by sweeping behind square for a boundary. Akeal Hosein returned to bowl his final over and bowled a miserly one to finish his spell. Allen continued as Jora launched him and smoked it over wide long-on for the maximum. Sheikh reached his half-century off 34 balls as he reached his 8th T20I fifty. The 50-run stand came up between Aasif and Jora. Jora then used his feet and launched Bidaisee over wide long-on for the maximum as the 100 came up for Nepal in 13.2 overs.
Jediah Blades came back to bowl his third over. Jora survived a scare as the aerial ball landed in between Blades and Akeal Hosein at covers. After 15 overs, Nepal were 108/3 and had a launching pad to finish on a high. Kyle Mayers was introduced into the attack late in the piece. Shaikh launched Mayers over midwicket for the maximum. Jason Holder swung back into action. Jora launched him down the ground for the maximum as he soon reached his fifty in 34 balls. This was his 4th T20I fifty.
Blades came to bowl his final over as Jora took him on and lofted it straight down the ground over long-on for the maximum. Jora hit another one next ball by pummelling over deep midwicket for the maximum as the 100-run stand came up between the duo. But Blades came back and broke the stand getting rid of Jora for 63 off 39 balls with 3 fours and 5 sixes to his name.
Blades from over the wicket bowled a back of a length delivery outside off-stump. Jora looked to pull it over deep midwicket but got it off the toe end of the bat. He failed to get the required power behind it as Bidaisee at wide long-on took the catch. The front foot was checked by the third umpire. It was a close call but went in favour of the bowler and West Indies as it was a fair delivery. Gulshan Jha came out to bat next. Jha then took on Holder and sliced it over backward point for the maximum. Jhan was hit on the helmet as a mandatory concussion test followed.
Shaikh then got into the act as he smashed Holder over cover point region for the maximum as Holder went wicketless in this game. Kyle Mayers came to bowl the final over of the innings and he removed Gulshan Jha for 6 off 6 balls with a maximum to his name. Mayers from over the wicket bowled a yorker at the stumps. Jha looked to slog it across the line but missed it. He wore it on the left boot right in front of the stumps and the finger was raised in a flash. Mohammad Aadil Alam came out to bat next. Alam then launched Mayers for the maximum over midwicket by smashing the juicy full toss away. Alam managed to get another boundary away by the outside edge past the keeper to the third man fence.
The last ball of the innings yielded a wicket as Alam fell for 11 off 5 balls with one four and one six to his name. Mayers kept it simple by bowling full and angling into the stumps. Allam shuffled across to the off-side and looked to hoick it across the line but missed it. He wore it on the front pad right in front of the middle stump and the umpire raised his finger in a flash. Aasif Sheikh remained unbeaten on 68 off 47 balls with 8 fours and 2 sixes to his name and carried his bat as Nepal finished on 173/6 in 20 overs with 13 extras given by the fielding side.
It was a hard toil for the West Indies bowlers with Akeal Hosein leading the way with figures of 2/21 in 4 overs. Kyle Mayers finished with 2/26 in 2 overs. Jediah Blades chipped in with 1/27 in 4 overs. Jason Holder gave away 39 runs in 4 overs. Navin Bidaisee gave away 28 runs in 3 overs. Zishan Motara on debut bowled an over for 13 runs. Fabian Allen gave 16 runs in 2 overs. West Indies now needed 174 runs to win to level the series at 1-1.
Aadil Ansari & Kushal Bhurtel Star as Nepal skittle West Indies out for 83 in 17.1 overs.
Chasing 174 for the win, Jewel Andrew and Kyle Mayers came out to bat for West Indies. Dipendra Singh Airee had ball in hand for Nepal. Airee started off with a miserly first over. Karan KC had ball in hand from the other end. Karan too gave nothing away. Airee continued and got rid of Andrew for 2 off 11 balls. Airee bowled from over the wicket a good length delivery flatter on the middle stump line. The batter dropped back and aimed to cut with a horizontal bat but missed it completely. The ball went onto hit the top of the middle stump. Keacy Carty came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway.
Karan KC struck next getting rid of Carty for 1 off 3 balls. Karan bowled a good length cross seam delivery just outside the off-stump. Carty was standing slightly outside the crease to negate the swing and threw his bat at it, but failed to keep it along the ground. Bhurtel inside the ring at covers dived to his left and took a good catch. Ackeem Auguste came out to bat next and got off the mark. Airee continued and bowled another miserly over.
Sompal Kami came into the attack to bowl the final over of the powerplay. Auguste broke the shackles by launching it over midwicket for the maximum. At the end of the powerplay after 6 overs, West Indies were crawling at 16/2 in the chase of 174. Captain Rohit Paudel brought himself into the attack post the powerplay. He bowled a decent first over.
Mohammad Aadil Alam came into the attack next. He got rid of Kyle Mayers for 6 off 16 balls. Alam bowled fuller than good length outside the off-stump. The left-hander threw his bat at it but ended up slicing towards cover point. Gulshan Jha in the deep moved to his left and dived full to take a stunner inches from the ground. Amir Jangoo came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway. Auguste hit Alam by slog sweeping through deep backward square leg for a boundary.
Jangoo got into the act as he launched Paudel over long-on down the ground for the maximum. Alam was on a roll as he next removed Auguste for 17 off 21 balls with one four and one six to his name. He bowled a good length slower delivery on the off-stump line. Auguste got down on one knee and attempted a slog sweep but failed to read the pace of the ball and missed it completely. The ball went and hit the off-stump. Jason Holder came to the crease next and got off the mark straightaway with a triple. After 10 overs, West Indies were reeling in the chase at 41/4 chasing 174 for the win.
Kushal Bhurtel came into the attack next after the break. Holder took the attack to Bhurtel by smashing him for back-to-back sixes over long-on and midwicket respectively. Alam continued as Jangoo squeezed it to deep third man for a boundary. Alam was on a roll as he got rid of Jangoo for 16 off 14 balls with one four and one six to his name. He bowled a touch short and angling across outside the off-stump. The batter swivelled around and pulled at it but mistimed the stroke to deep midwicket where Bhurtel took a regulation catch. Fabian Allen came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway.
Lalit Rajbanshi was introduced into the attack next. Allen smoked Lalit towards long-on for a welcome boundary. Kushal Bhurtel changed ends as he removed Fabian Allen for 7 off 8 balls with a boundary to his name. Bhurtel bowled a fuller length delivery outside the off-stump. Allen got down on one knee and slog swept it but managed a thick inside edge on it and dragged it back onto the stumps. Allen was furious with himself but had to go back to the hut. Captain Akeal Hosein came out to bat next. He too fell for a bronze duck as Bhurtel had two in the over.
Bhurtel bowled a flighted delivery which was on a fuller length and googly that turned away a tad outside off-stump. Hosein got down on one knee and slog swept it but mistimed the shot at deep midwicket. Aadil in the deep made no mistake and took the catch safely as West Indies lost their 7th wicket now. Navin Bidaisee came out to bat next. Rajbanshi continued and bowled a miserly over as West Indies reached 76/7 in 15 overs and now needed an impossible 98 runs off 30 balls with 3 wickets in hand.
Alam returned to the attack and got his 4th of the evening as he removed Bidaisee for 2 off 5 balls. He bowled the back of the length slower delivery which was an off-cutter outside the off-stump. Bidaisee moved his front leg across and whacked it, but failed to generate enough power to clear the fence as Bhurtel took a good catch at the edge of the ropes. Debutant Zishan Motara walked out to bat and got off the mark straightaway.
Rajbanshi then got into the act as he removed Jason Holder for 21 off 15 balls with 2 sixes to his name. He bowled the arm ball fuller length around off-stump line. Holder used the long handle and swung hard and got it off the cue end of the blade towards wide long-off. Gulshan Jha in the deep ran to his left and dived full length to grab a stunner. Jediah Blades came out to bat at 11. He got off the mark straightaway.
The final act and winning moment came soon as Bhurtel removed Motara for 3 off 4 balls. He flighted the ball fuller length on the middle stump line. Motara looked to smash it over mid-off and mistimed the stroke. Karan KC from mid-off backpedalled and took it safely to spark out wild celebrations in Sharjah. Blades remained unbeaten on 1 off 3 balls as West Indies were skittled out for 83 in 17.1 overs with 7 extras given by the fielding side as they lost by a 90 runs.
Nepal had a field day with the ball with Aadil Ansari picking up 4/24 in 4 overs. He was ably supported by Kushal Bhurtel who finished with 3/16 in 2.1 overs. Dipendra Singh Airee finished with 1/4 in 3 overs. Karan KC finished with 1/3 in 2 overs. Lalit Rajbanshi finished with 1/13 in 3 overs. Sompal Kami finished with 0/8 in 1 over. Rohit Paudel finished with 0/11 in 2 overs. So, Nepal win by 90 runs to claim a historic series win and for his unbeaten 69 off 47 balls, Aasif Sheikh was awarded the Player of the Match Award.
What Lies Ahead.
Nepal has clinched the series 2-0 with a game to spare as West Indies cricket has hit a new low now. The third and final T20I of the series takes place later tonight in Sharjah where West Indies will aim to avoid a clean sweep while Nepal will be determined to complete the whitewash.
Which way is it going to go? Will West Indies salvage some pride from this disappointing series so far? Or will Nepal drive home the advantage. Find out later tonight in Sharjah.
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