KATHMANDU, Nov 4: Nepal U-19 cricket team faced a 38-run defeat at the hands of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in the first match of the MCC tour of Nepal series in Kirtipur on Sunday. 

At the TU Cricket Ground, MCC opener Will Rhodes scored the highest 93 runs for the winning team, but Nepal responded better than expected with Hari Chauhan scoring a half-century in the losing cause. 

Earlier, Nepal won the toss, elected to field first and was presented with a big target of 335 runs for the loss of seven wickets by MCC in the allotted 50 overs. In reply, Nepal finished on 296 runs for the loss of nine wickets in 50 overs. 

Rhodes scored 93 runs off 83 balls with four sixes and 13 boundaries and was on course for getting a century, but Sher Malla’s bowling got him out with Arun Airee catching the ball. Likewise, he was supported by a superb cameo performance from not-out Ed Young, who scored 45 runs off 32 balls which included three boundaries. 

Also, Tom Weltley hit 65 runs off 55 deliveries including two sixes and eight boundaries, while Miles Hammond, before going out for lbw on Akash Chand’s bowling, smashed 65 runs off 26 balls comprising three fours. 

Will Vanderspar scored 42-ball 24 runs with a four, while the other opener Billy Godleman played a slow role in hitting 40-ball 22 runs smashing three boundaries. 

Jimmy Adams went out for a duck as Sher Malla got lbw, while Callum Jackson and not out Yasir Arafat scored six and four runs respectively. 

Malla and Sagar Dhakal were the only bowlers to take two wickets for Nepal. Malla bowled 10 overs including a maiden and conceded 53 runs, while Dhakal, in his 10-over spell, gave away 60 runs. 

Likewise, Kushal Malla and Akash Chand pocketed a wicket each for the losing side. 

Chauhan scored 52 runs off 60 balls with a six and five fours, while he was supported by the opener Rit Gautam, who hit 45 runs off 58 balls including a six and three fours. 

Likewise, Akash Chand played a good cameo performance with 30 runs off 26 balls with two sixes and a four, while Arun Airee smashed 30 runs off 40 deliveries which included a six and two fours. 

Malla was not out for 24-ball 28 runs including three boundaries, while Khadak Bahadur Bohora scored 26 runs off as many deliveries including four boundaries before he was bowled out by Young. 

Lokesh Bahadur Bam added 18 runs off 13 balls with four fours, Bishal Bimrak KC hit 13 runs off 35 balls, and Kushal Malla contributed 12 runs off nine balls with a four and a six. 

MCC gave an extraordinary 27 extras including 19 wide balls, 10 byes and eight leg byes. 

Chris Wright was the pick of the bowlers from the game as he pocketed three wickets giving away 51 runs in seven overs. Likewise, Miles Hammond and Tom Westely picked up two wickets each, while Oliver Hannon-Dalby and Young claimed a wicket each. 

Nepal national cricket team will face MCC in another ODI match on Monday. 

The tour will consist of one three-day game, two 50-over matches and three T20s games during the MCC’s tour to Nepal.

 
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