Published: Oct 13, 2017, 09:58 AM (IST)
Edited: Oct 13, 2017, 10:03 AM (IST)
Nepal winning the toss, asked Hong Kong to bat first in Match No. 47 of the ICC World Cricket League Championship. Hong Kong did not have the best of start losing Anshuman Rath for a duck. He was picked up by Karan KC in his second over. Skipper Babar Hayat and Jamie Atkinson did manage to stabilise the innings but the former fell for 29. It was only Atkinson who held the innings together as Sandeep Lamichhane and Basant Regmi ran havoc in the middle overs. The duo snapped 5 wickets between them as Hong Kong’s innings closed on 194, powered by late blitz from Tanwir Afzal.
Hayat was run out by Dipendra Airee. Lamichhane came into the attack and spun a web around the Hong Kong batsmen. His first wicket was Nizakat Khan for 12. Amidst all the carnage, Jamie Atkinson held his own.
The full-time teacher brought up his fourth List-A fifty in 82 balls. He sadly continued to lose partners in heaps. Waqas Khan went for 14, while Shahid Wasif fell for 1. Waqas was stumped off Basant Regmi, while Shahid was leg-before off Lamichhane.
Regmi, soon picked his second wicket in the form of Eshan Khan. He too fell for 0. Atkinson continued to milk bowlers for runs despite fall of wickets.
Lamichhane picked his third wicket in the form of Aizaz Khan. Aizaz gave a simple caught and ball to Lamichhane for zero.
Atkinson along with Afzal stitched a crucial 25-run partnership for the eight wicket. It was Sushan Bhari who provided Nepal the breakthrough, getting Atkinson for 76 after getting hit for a six earlier in the over. Afzal, known for hitting big runs, played a cameo for 38 runs that enabled Hong Kong get past 150-run mark.
He had smacked 30 runs off in an over against Scotland last year. Afzal finally fell to Karan trying the high risk-shot.
Nawaz remained unbeaten on 16 as Hong Kong finished their innings on 194. Kyle Christie was run out for 6.
Brief scores:
Hong Kong 194 all out in 50 overs (Jamie Aktinson 76, Tanwir Afzal 38 ; Sandeep Lamicchane 3 for 48 ) vs Nepal.
