Netherlands 109 for 4 (O’Dowd 54*, Vikramjit 22, Airee 1-6) beat Nepal 106 (Paudel 35, Pringle 3-20, Van Beek 3-18, Van Meekeren 2-19) by six wickets
It was a impolite welcome for Nepal of their first T20 World Cup in a decade, with the Netherlands bowlers placing up a advantageous present and bowling them out for a mere 106 in 19.2 overs. However Nepal weren’t achieved but. They squeezed the Netherlands batters within the center overs and took the chase into the nineteenth over. O’Dowd, nevertheless, held his personal with an unbeaten 54. He rode his luck and made certain to take his facet over the road by six wickets and eight balls to spare.
Early-morning rain and overcast circumstances delayed the toss by half-hour and Netherlands captain Scott Edwards had no hesitations in bowling after successful the toss. The bowlers backed up their captain’s resolution with Pringle, van Beek, Paul van Meekeren and Bas de Leede all getting among the many wickets.
In reply, Nepal put up a combat however dropped a few essential probabilities at key intervals.
Dallas turns blue and pink, however Orange holds sway
The Grand Prairie Stadium can seat 7000 however the vocal Nepal followers made it really feel rather a lot greater, flocking in good and early getting behind their staff. However the overcast circumstances assisted the Netherlands seamers and so they received their first wicket by left-arm spinner Pringle, whose resolution to maintain giving the ball flight paid off as Aasif Sheikh’s thick outdoors edge discovered quick third within the second over. Pacer van Beek then struck along with his first ball, angling a size ball sharply again into Kushal Bhurtel and catching him plumb in entrance.
Nepal’s gamers appreciated the full of life help they received in Dallas•ICC/Getty Pictures
Quick bowler Vivian Kingma additionally discovered large motion because the Nepal batters discovered placing bat to ball an arduous activity. Within the first six overs, Nepal performed and missed 17 of the 36 balls (47.22%), which is the best for any staff in a males’s T20I (for which ESPNcricinfo has ball-by-ball knowledge out there). They hit 5 fours however might solely handle three singles and a two within the first six overs, as Nepal managed solely 29 runs within the powerplay for the lack of two wickets.
A stranglehold within the center and on the demise
Rohit Paudel, the youngest captain at a T20 World Cup at 21, saved his composure however misplaced companions at a gradual fee. He pumped Kingma for a 4 over covers within the seventh over, however Pringle got here again in his second over to take away Anil Sah, his tried sweep solely going so far as deep backward sq. leg. Kushal Malla hammered van Meekeren for a 4 over mid-off however fell three balls later attempting a repeat of that shot, deceived by the slower offcutter and spooning the ball straight up.
Bas de Leede then removed Dipendra Singh Airee caught at slip as Nepal slipped to 53 for five after 11 overs. Paudel was busy throughout his 35 off 37 however finally perished giving Pringle his third wicket. Karan KC and Gulsan Jha added 22 off 17 balls for the eighth wicket – the second-highest stand of the innings – to push the rating previous 100. Van Beek ended the innings with a two-in-two.
Rohit Paudel was resilient however fell proper earlier than the demise overs began•AFP/Getty Pictures
Nepal apply the choke
Early wickets was the necessity of the hour, and Nepal managed that with Sompal Kami eliminating Michael Levitt along with his second ball, caught by the quilt fielder. Each Kami and Karan saved the bowling tight conceding solely 4 runs within the first 15 balls. Vikramjit Singh broke the shackles with two back-to-back fours however run-scoring remained gradual. Nepal bowled 19 dot balls within the powerplay as Netherlands reached 36 for 1 after the primary six.
It was going to get harder for Netherlands within the center overs, with the spinners coming into the equation. Airee conceded only a single in his first over after the powerplay, earlier than taking out Vikramjit with a size ball that beat the batter’s tried slog sweep and caught him in entrance. An over earlier Vikramjit was dropped at deep backward sq. leg by Kami, however he could not money in.
O’Dowd and Sybrand Engelbrecht tried to regular to ship in a 28-run stand earlier than a run out introduced in regards to the latter’s finish. O’Dowd struck a straight drive again at Kami, who expertly deflected the ball again onto the non-striker’s stumps and caught Engelbrecht quick. Nepal conceded simply 48 runs within the center overs (6 to fifteen) making Netherlands combat for each run.
Max O’Dowd took Netherlands house with an unbeaten 54•AFP/Getty Pictures
Composed O’Dowd steers Netherlands house
When Edwards fell cheaply, it felt Netherlands’ chase might go astray, however O’Dowd introduced all his expertise into play. He curbed his pure aggressive instincts and made certain he saved his finish safe even when Netherlands went 40 balls with no boundary between the twelfth and 18th overs. O’Dowd had an enormous slice of luck when Paudel spilled a simple probability within the 18th over at long-off. He was on 40 on the time and Netherlands nonetheless wanted 18 off 17, however the dropped probability appeared to ease his nerves. Within the penultimate over, with Netherlands requiring 13 off 12, he smashed Abinash Bohara for a 4 and 6 to achieve his thirteenth T20I fifty. De Leede then completed the chase with a 4 by covers, triggering a sigh of aid within the Netherlands camp and securing two essential factors.
Ashish Pant is a sub-editor with ESPNcricinfo
