ICC Media Release
Nepal and USA both scored wins today in the second day of the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Division 4 (WCL Div. 4) in Bologna.
Cayman Islands and Argentina game abandoned due to wet outfield and will be replayed on Monday.
Muhammad Ghous has figures 4 for 15 against Tanzania. Photo by Shiek Mohamed.
The Cayman Islands v Argentina match was abandoned due to a wet outfield at Medicina and will now be replayed tomorrow (Monday) at Pianoro, in accordance with the tournament playing conditions.
In the first of the two matches that were completed today, Tanzania and USA started on time at the Bologna ground and the African visitors managed to make 128 runs in 38.1 overs after a batting collapse at the beginning of the innings.
The Tanzanian tail-ender Kassim Nassoro was the top scorer for the side with 49 not out but unfortunately the USA bowling attack was too strong for the team captained by Hamisi Abdallah.
The side at one point were 63 for eight before Nassoro arrived at the crease and managed to raise the team’s total to triple figures with the aid of Riziki Kiseto.
USA’s Muhammad Ghous was the pick of the side’s bowlers taking an impressive four for 15, while Adrian Gordon walked away with three for 21.
When the time came for the USA innings, Orlando Baker and Sushil Nadkarni made light work of the target reaching it in just 12.4 overs.
Baker struck a surly 63 runs in an innings that included seven boundaries and four sixes, while man of the match Nadkarni made a swashbuckling 68 off 38 balls. Nadkarni managed to smash his way out of the ground at Bologna eight times and struck the boundary on three occasions.
USA coach Clayton Lambert said, “I’m particularly pleased today with the performance of Muhammad Ghous. He did well for us in Bermuda at the ICC Americas tournament and he’s carried that form through and I feel his quite a revelation.
“Adrian Gordon also did well today and I’m happy with Orlando and Sushil who are definitely two of our in-form batsmen”.
In the second game of the day, watched by roughly 80 travelling Nepalese fans, Nepal took on Italy at Pianoro in a match that was reduced to 40 overs after a delayed start due to the previous day’s rainfall.
Paras Kadka won the toss and decided to send Alessandro Bonara’s Italy in to bat, a decision that proved to be a wise one for the 22-year-old all-rounder.
The Italy side were skittled for 71 in 33.1 overs, with Amit Bhattarai taking an incredible three wickets for eight runs in his six overs. The rest of the wickets were shared between Kadka (2-16), Shakti Gauchan (2-7), Basant Regmi (2-6) and Binod Das (1-19).
Sushil Nadkarni with the man-of-the-match award. Photo courtesy of ICC.
Gauchan also had a strong fielding day, catching three key middle-order batsmen out including Bonara, thus earning himself his first Man of the Match award of the tournament.
Nepal had a poor start to its innings losing in-form opener Anil Mandal for a duck while Gauchan departed for 12. Kadka departed for nine after being caught off the bowling of Hemantha Jayasena and opening batsman Mahesh Chhetri departed 10 runs later.
It was then up to Sharad Vesawkar and Mahaboob Alam to knock off the remaining 26 runs after Gyanendra Malla departed for a duck after being caught by Bonara.
Man of the match Gauchan, who collected the same award against Italy some five years when Nepal last played the side, said, “I really enjoyed it out in the field today and everything just seemed to work for me. It was a bit disappointing to not get many runs but we’ve a rest day tomorrow and I’ll be fully prepared for Tuesday.
“It was great to have some supporters there today; it made the atmosphere for the game great”.
Score summaries (day two):
At Pianoro: Italy 71 all out, 33.1 overs (Jayasena 16; Battarai 3-8, B Regmi 2-6, Gauchan 2-17, Kadka 2-16)
Nepal 77-5, 25 overs (Chhetri 19, Alam 16 no; Jayasena 2-11)
Nepal won by five wickets
At Medicina: No play possible
Argentina v Cayman Islands
Match abandoned and will be replayed tomorrow (Monday) at Pianoro
At Bologna: Tanzania 128 all out, 38.1 overs (Nassaro 49no; Ghous 4-15, Gordon 3-21)
USA 132-0, 12.4 overs (Nadkarni 68, Baker 63)
USA won by 10 wickets