SCO vs NEP

We have reached the end of our live coverage. The fixture ends in disappointment for Scotland, but Nepal will walk away with their head held high. This will be it from all of us here at Sportskeeda. It’s Datrim Ray signing off on behalf of my colleague Sourabh Agarwal. Be sure to join us again tomorrow for another mouthwatering tripleheader, with India slated to take on the Dutch at 7 PM local time. Bye for now! 

Richie Berrington (Scotland captain): The atmopshere was incredible. We always knew it was going to be a tough game against Nepal, sepcially defending. They had a whole crowd behind them tonight. Disappointing to be on the wrong side of the result but huge credits to Dipender Singh Airee, he changed the whole tempo of the game fair play to him for getting the POTM

170 was a competitive score, they bowled exteremely well towards the death and we left a few out there. We knew after the performance with the ball against England, we could create pressure. But it took just one innings to change the game and get the result for Nepal.

(not able to close off games after getting into strong positions) Pleased with some of the performances that we have put in, showed we can compete at this level but certainly some frustration there. Got ourselves in really strong positions in three of those games, had we gone a bit deeper in the game and won a few more key moments, we could have gone more games. That is maybe due to the lack of game time coming into the tournament but there is a lot to take from here.

Our preparation coming in was very different to other teams but as I said at the start we would embrace that. When we got here we never looked back, saw this as another opportunity to perform at the world stage and certainly pleased with some of the performances we put in.

(How does he see the associate nations going forward?) Great that this was a 20-team World Cup, we have seen the benefits of that with some of the performances the associate teams have put in. Goes to show if we get more exposure to this kind of cricket, all these teams will only get stronger. At the moment, we have to keep doing everything we can to improve and take evey opportunity that is in front of us.

The entire Nepal team can be seen taking a victory lap around the Wankhede. They are getting a very warm reception from the Nepalese supporters, who have turned up in numbers tonight to rally behind Nepal. 

Dipender Singh Airee is the Player of the Match for his match-winning unbeaten 50* off 23 balls, Nepal skipper Rohit Paudel translated his words:

Firstly would like to thank the fans for coming from Nepal and supported us, gave us a lot of motivation. We did not win any matches in the last World Cup so this is very special. This is one of his best innings, specially chasing and getting a 23-ball 50. 

(coming close to winning against England) This kind of chase always gives motivation to the group, the game against England gave us lots of lessons and this win is very important for us. 

(was lack of dot balls in his innings the key for him?) Usually, he tries to rotate the strike and does not want to play a lot of dot balls. Key is to rotate the strike and hitting balls

10:20 PM local time (10:20 PM IST): Nepal win by 7 wickets

Michael Jones - 71 (45) | Michael Leask - 3/30
Dipendra Singh Airee - 50 (23) | Sompal Kami - 3/25

A CONSOLATION WIN FOR NEPAL! Airee and Jha help Nepal finish on a high with a consolation 7-wicket win! Bhurtel and Sheikh unleashed unforgiving carnage on the Scottish bowlers after a watchful start. Scotland tried to counter Nepal’s scoring rate with spin. But the Nepali opening duo was equal to their task. They pummeled the Scottish bowlers on all sides of the ground and kept Nepal’s scoring rate up. Bhurtel led the counterattack but fell 7 runs shy of his half-century. Leask was the bowler to break the opening partnership, which threatened to take the game away from them. He then went on a roll to dismiss a well-set Sheikh for 33, thus cracking the game open. Davidson joined the act to further restrict the flow of runs for Nepal during the middle phase.

Paudel (16 off 14) paid a heavy price for playing a rash shot. With the pressure building, he played a shot out of anger, which resulted in a vital opening for Scotland in this run chase. But the success remained short-lived. Gulshan (24 off 17) and Airee (50 off 23) gave Nepal an electrifying finish, which they so desperately needed towards the end. Airee went hard at Leask and targeted him ruthlessly in his final over to take the game away from the Scots. Leask was taken to the cleaners and conceded 2 sixes and a boundary, which really tilted the game back in Nepal’s favor. 

OHH MY! Munsey has done some serious damage to his feet while putting on the dive. But he might have been in contact with the ropes while stopping the ball. NEPAL WIN!!

19.2 Brad Wheal to Gulshan Jha, in the slot, Jha heaves it wide of long-on and Munsey seems to have stopped it running to his left. Oh no, his leg was touching the boundary ropes as he tried to flick it in and it is a first win in this World Cup for Nepal! This is a historic moment, the kind of moments where the ones who saw it live would say that yes I was there. Munsey might have done himself some mischief trying to stop it, he will need some medical attention, got to feel for him but this moment belongs to Nepal and Nepalese cricket and the thousands of its fans who have turned Wankhede stadium into a cauldron match after match in this World Cup. 

The Cardiac Kids, as they are called, finally have a win to show for in this World Cup

19.1 Brad Wheal to Dipendra Singh Airee, 50 FOR AIREE! He does not care though, looks for two. Squeezed the yorker outside off towards deep cover. Once again, he will get only one

18.6 Bradley Currie to Dipendra Singh Airee, this time Airee aniticipated the yorker, went for the scoop by moving across, not enough connection and all he will get is a single to short fine

18.5 Bradley Currie to Gulshan Jha, nails another yorker, this is some comeback from Currie. Jha backs away, squirts it down to long-on. Airee wanted two again, just one though

18.4 Bradley Currie to Dipendra Singh Airee, full, very full at the stumps, Airee makes room and drives to deep cover. Wants two but sent back by Jha. 7 off 8 needed now!

18.1 Bradley Currie to Gulshan Jha, HOW ABOUT THAT? Gulshan Jha, why were you trying all those ugly slogs? Backs away outside leg, inside out over cover and it clears the fence with ease