KATHMANDU, Aug 25: Nepali cricket team defeated Australian Capital Territory (ACT) by 41 runs in the first warm-up T20 match, with leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane taking 5 wickets along with a hat-trick.
Chasing a target of 178 runs, ACT players bowled out for 136 runs in 17.2 overs. For Nepal, Sandeep took five wickets for 31 runs in 4 overs. Similarly, Karan KC took two and Rupesh Singh took one wicket, putting Australia under pressure.
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For the Australian team, Jake Smith scored the highest 50 and Jack Keogh scored 25 runs, while Kai Brunker played some attractive shots towards the end and managed to make 26 runs.
Earlier, Nepali team lost the toss and went to bat first. It scored 177 runs for the loss of eight wickets in 20 overs. Opener Asif Sheikh scored the highest 69 runs in 38 balls, including 4 fours and 5 sixes. Captain Rohit Poudel contributed 36 runs.
Nepal is playing the second T-20 today immediately after the first match. On August 28 and 30, the team will play a T-20 and an ODI against the South Australian team. The Australia tour is deemed crucial for Nepal's preparation for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers.
