Ireland Wolves crush Nepal-A, clinch OD series

Nepal: Helpless Nepal-A suffered an embarrassing 114-run defeat against Ireland Wolves in their second one-day match, submitting the three-match series 2-0 at the TU Cricket Ground in Kirtipur on Friday.

 

photo: TKP

Binod Bhandari’s men were looking to level the series after losing the first OD by 21 runs on Wednesday but suffered yet another batting collapse to be bundled out for 60 runs inside 17 overs, while chasing a 175-run target.

 

Matthew Humphreys, who had taken 5-32 in the first OD to bowl out Nepal-A for 136, once again proved a thorn in Nepal-A’s flesh with his impressive six-wicket haul.

 

Fionn Hand and Thomas Mayes were other destroyers, taking 2-14 and 2-18 respectively.

 

Bhim Sharki (17) and skipper Bhandari (16) were the only Nepali batters to score in double digits.

 

Hand started the carnage removing opener Dev Khanal for a duck with his third delivery in the first over and dispatching Naren Bhatta for six in the third over.

 

Sharki and Arjun Saud tried to slowly rebuild the innings taking Nepal to 33-2 after eight overs.

 

But spinner Humphreys spit venom immediately after captain Neil Rock introduced him in the ninth over, getting rid of Saud with his second ball and Sharki five balls later.

 

Humphreys returned in the 11th over and dismissed Aarif Sheikh for a duck as Nepal-A were reduced to 38-5.

 

Mayes then joined the action taking the wicket of Basir Ahamad (6) in the 14th over and Bhandari in the 16th over, an over after Humphreys had trapped Rijan Dhakal (0) leg before.

 

Humphreys put an end to Nepal’s misery, capturing tailenders Shahab Alam (1) and Mousom Dhakal (0) in successive deliveries to complete an amazing afternoon for the visitors.

 

Earlier, the Wolves posted 174 all out in 38.4 overs after being invited to bat first, thanks to crucial knocks from Rock, Gavin Hoey and Liam McCarthy.

 

The Wolves had a rocky start to their innings losing their six batters with 50 runs abroad, with Alam (3-35) and Rijan (3-30) doing all the damage.

 

Stephen Doheny was trapped lbw by Alam from the fifth ball of the innings before James McCollum was run out in the fifth over. Peter Moor was the next to depart scoring 17 runs, caught by Mousom off Rijan in the 5.6 overs.

 

Morgan Topping (2) and Gareth Delany (0) both fell to Alam’s spin, and Hand also joined the dugout, trapped leg in front by Dhakal—that left the tourists in deep trouble at 50-6 after 13.4 overs.

 

But Hoey and Rock put on a vital 44-run stand for the seventh wicket to revive the Wolves innings.

 

Rock left the crease making a significant 45 runs facing 38 deliveries, caught by Ahamad off Kamal Airee in the 20.3 overs.

 

Hoey then continued to rebuild the innings adding another crucial 54 runs with McCarthy for the eighth wicket.

 

Hoey reached his fifty with a four off Dhakal in the 31.2 overs before falling to the bowler four balls later. Hoey hit five boundaries and two sixes.

 

McCarthy next led the fight back, scoring 35 runs from 54 balls, to guide the Wolves to a moderate total.

 

Mousom took two wickets for Nepal-A, while Kamal Airee picked one.

 

The Wolves will wrap up their Nepal tour with a third OD against Nepal-A on Sunday.

Rock’s men also played a three-match T20 series against Nepal's second-string side from March 29 to April 1, which they won 2-1.

 

Before that, the Wolves had played a two-match T20 series against Nepal’s senior men’s cricket team.