Nepal vs. Netherlands - ICC World Twenty20 Qualifiers - Match Update
Netherlands, in a very crucial match on the sixth day of the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifiers, defeated Nepal by 6 wickets with 37 balls remaining, at the ICC Global Cricket Academy Dubai, on Monday March 19, 2012.
After being asked to bat, Nepal lost their way early, as the Netherland bowlers toppled the bating side with their impressive performance while picking up five quick wickets at the score of 25.
Michael Swart, the right-arm off-breaker, gave the first breakthrough to his team, dismissing opener Pradeep Airee, at the score of 5. This first dismissal was then followed by another after the addition of only two runs. when the pacer, Mudassar Bukhari, plumbed the one-down batsman Sharad Vesawkar at his individual score of 1.
The back-to-back breakthroughs lifted the morale of the bowling side, which in a span of 18 runs, picked three more wickets and pushed the batting side on the backfoot.
Gyanendra Malla and Prithu Baskota then tried to construct a solid partnership but couldn’t succeed. Both the batsmen added 20 runs to the total before the partnership was broken by a run-out which forced Baskota to leave the crease with his individual score of 8.
Basanta Regmi came to bat alongside Malla. Both the batsmen added some valuable runs to the total and formed the longest partnership of their innings with their 36-run stand. The duo however, couldn’t add much as the innings ended up on 85 for 7 in 20 overs.
Swart with his crafty bowling, picked two wickets, while Mudassar, Pieter Seelaar and Tom Cooper also got one scalp each.
In the easy run chase, Netherlands' top-order batsmen executed the innings quite decently. All the five top-order batsmen, Myburg (15), Swart (16),Wesley Barresi (14), Cooper (18) and Alexei Kervezee ( 15), added reasonable scores to the total and helped the team chase the target comfortably in 13.5 overs.
The right-arm off-breaker, Sanjam Regmi, remained the prominent bowler from the Nepal side with his 3 for 32.
The Man of the Match accolade was given to Michael Swart for his overall fine performance. Netherlands, after this win jump to the second place on Group-A standings, while Nepal moves down to fourth.