Electing to bat first in Somerset Cricket Club, the entire Nepali innings collapsed for 116 runs. In reply, Uganda made 117/4 in 27 overs. Nepal had lost its opening match to the USA by 94 runs at the same venue Sunday night. [break]
Nepal had a cautious start, with Pradeep Airee and Subash Khakurel sharing a 33-run opening stand in 6.2 overs. Both of them fell on the same score.
Airee hit 24, the individual highest score in the Nepali innings, with four fours and a six, while Khakurel played a second fiddle with 5 off 12 balls, including a four.
Thereafter wickets kept tumbling at regular intervals, with none of Nepali batsmen being able to score freely before a disciplined Uganda bowling attack.
Shakti Gauchan, who was sent at No 5 showed some resistance while playing a gritty knock of 21 off 81 but wickets at the other end kept falling with no chances of innings consolidation.
Binod Bhandari and Prithu Baskota made 18 runs each, while Gyanendra Mall scored 10. Besides no other Nepali batsmen could score in double digits.
For Uganda, F Subuga and D Arinaitwe bowled with a lot of venom, snaring three wickets each. Arinaitwe was awarded man of the match for his excellent bowling figures of 9.2-2-12-3.
Besides, B Masaba grabbed two wickets and C Waisa claimed one.
Uganda chased down the small target with ease, with Mukasa topscoring with an unbeaten 49 that also contained five fours. Other major contributor for the African team were, Musoke 22, Kyobe 18 and Semantimba 16.
For Nepal, Basanta Regmi took two wickets, while Amrit Bhattarai and Chandra Saud claimed one wicket each. With today’s defeat, Nepal’s hope for qualification has been shattered. Nepal will now take on Bermuda on Wednesday.
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