Kathmandu, Aug 20: Nepal registered their second straight win in the Top End T20 Series in Australia’s Northern Territory, defeating Melbourne Renegades Academy by 33 runs on Wednesday.
Defending a modest target of 140, Nepal bowled out the Renegades for 106 in 20 overs. Arjun Nair (26), J Lemire (18), and Harry Dixon (16) were the only batters to offer some resistance.
Pacer Sompal Kami starred with the ball, delivering a match-winning spell of 5/17 in four overs. He was backed up by Kusal Bhurtel, who picked up two wickets, while Rupesh Singh, Dipendra Singh Airee, and Shahab Alam chipped in with one each.
Earlier, Nepal elected to bat after winning the toss and put up 139/9 in their allotted 20 overs. Kusal Malla was the top scorer with 29 off 22 balls, including a four and a six. Acting skipper Dipendra Singh Airee added 27 off 28, while Lokesh Bam struck a brisk 24 off 16 deliveries. Bhim Sharki (17), Arif Sheikh (12), and Rupesh Singh (12) also contributed.
For the Renegades, the wickets were evenly shared, with Fergus O’Neill, Lachlan Bangs, Callum Stow, and Michael Archer each taking two apiece.
The win marks Nepal’s second consecutive victory following a poor start to the tournament. After suffering three defeats — to NT Strike (by 42 runs), Bangladesh A (by 32 runs), and Melbourne Stars (by 31 runs) — Nepal bounced back strongly with a 66-run win over Hobart and have now built on that momentum.
With two wins from five games, Nepal move to seventh in the standings with four points. Only the top four teams will advance to the semifinals.Nepal will take on Pakistan Shaheens in their next fixture on Friday.
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