Canada Defeats Nepal by 103 Runs as Dilon Heyliger Takes Fifer
At the Maple Leaf North-West Ground in King City on Sept. 16th, 2024, Canada faced off against Nepal in a 50-over match as part of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2. Nepal won the toss and elected to field first, putting Canada into bat in ODI no. 4762.
Canada’s innings began cautiously, with Aaron Johnson departing early for just 10 runs, caught and bowled by Lalit Rajbanshi. Navneet Dhaliwal and Pargat Singh steadied the innings, but progress was slow. Dhaliwal top-scored among the top order with 48 off 90 balls, including four boundaries. However, the middle order struggled to build momentum, and Canada found themselves at 126-4 in the 36th over.
Nicholas Kirton, Canada’s captain, then anchored the innings with a blistering 73* off 44 balls, hitting three fours and six towering sixes. His aggressive batting, supported by Dilon Heyliger’s 30 off 27 balls and Saad Bin Zafar’s quick 17, helped Canada post a respectable total of 253/8 in their 50 overs. Lalit Rajbanshi and Sompal Kami were the pick of the Nepalese bowlers, each taking two wickets.
Chasing 254, Nepal’s innings never really took off, with Dilon Heyliger leading the charge for Canada. Heyliger took the key wicket of Kushal Bhurtel early, and Nepal struggled to recover. Opener Aasif Sheikh scored 20, and middle-order batsman Sandeep Lamichhane contributed a fighting 22 off 16 balls. However, Nepal kept losing wickets at regular intervals, and Heyliger’s disciplined bowling dismantled their batting lineup. He finished with impressive figures of 10-0-31-5, leading to Nepal’s collapse for just 150 in 40.1 overs.
Akhil Kumar and Ansh Patel also chipped in with crucial wickets, taking two each. Despite a late effort by Karan KC, who scored 27 off 24 balls, Nepal fell well short of the target, giving Canada a comprehensive 103-run victory. Dilon Heyliger was rightfully named the Player of the Match for his all-around performance, particularly his five-wicket haul, which turned the match decisively in Canada’s favor.
This win was crucial for Canada in their World Cup League 2 campaign, as they continue to vie for a spot in the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.
