ENG vs NEP

Hope you enjoyed the game (we know we did). This World Cup has truly alive, hasn't it? Well, guess what? We have more action coming your way. Ireland are taking on Sri Lanka with the match starting in under five minutes. Do catch up there. For now, this is Bala and Pradeep signing off. Bye-bye!

A fantastic game of cricket. Spirited fight from Nepal, but the cameo by Will Jacks in the end, eventually conceding 45 runs off the final three overs, proved to be the difference in the end. They can hold their heads high though. 

Harry Brook (England captain): "No, it wasn’t easy at all, but thankfully we got over the line. They (Nepal) played extremely well. Not many teams take Adil Rashid on the way they did, and I thought they played him outstandingly. They put us under pressure on quite a few occasions. I thought we were in a very good position to defend that. I didn’t think it would go quite as close as it did, but full credit to Nepal. They played brilliantly and I wish them all the best for the rest of the tournament. Beth (Jacob Bethell) played outstandingly at the start, rocking back and smacking the spinners into the stands. And then Jacksie (Will Jacks) coming in at seven, a role he hasn’t done much of, but the way he finished the innings was outstanding. I just said if we can get two or three wickets, the game changes. We didn’t quite get the rewards straight away, but we stuck to our plans and stayed calm. We’ve got plenty of options. Sam (Curran) bowled later than usual, and it’s not often Adil (Rashid) doesn’t bowl his full four, but it was just one of those days. I’m sure he’ll bounce back strongly. We were both very calm. We knew exactly what he was going to try, and he executed his skills brilliantly under pressure."

Rohit Paudel [Nepal captain]: "(On pride despite the defeat) Of course there is disappointment, but above everything, I’m extremely proud of this team. The effort the boys put in against England deserves huge appreciation. Before we stepped onto the field, the only message was to give everything we had, and I truly believe the team delivered on that. (On belief and Nepal’s growth) We came into this World Cup with belief — not just to participate, but to compete. As a group, we felt we could challenge any side if we played our brand of cricket, and today I think we showed exactly that. This performance reflects how far we’ve come as a team. (On overall performance and key moments) The result didn’t go our way, but in terms of effort across batting, bowling, and fielding, I would give the team full marks. The final three overs were an area where we can improve. Death overs are always tough, and England executed better at the end, but that’s something we’ll learn from and get better at. (On the crucial partnership and tactical clarity) During the partnership, the focus was on keeping wickets in hand and managing the required rate in the last five overs. We targeted strong starts to the overs and backed ourselves to make things happen. It wasn’t a specific plan to attack any particular bowler, but we trusted our instincts and it worked for us in that phase. (On what lies ahead) We won’t take any team lightly going forward, and that applies across the tournament. Every side has quality, and we need to be at our best every time we step on the field. (On the fans and support) Playing in India in front of such passionate supporters was incredibly special. It felt like all of Nepal was behind us, and that support gives us immense motivation. We carried their belief onto the field, gave everything we had, and I truly believe the nation will be proud of this team."

Will Jacks is the Player of the Match! Here's what he has to say: "(On Nepal’s challenge and the nature of the contest) Full credit to Nepal — they were outstanding. We found the surface difficult while batting, but they handled the spin superbly and pushed us right to the brink. They were excellent throughout and made it a real contest. (On his late batting impact) It was good to spend some time in the middle after not having much of that recently. The focus was on keeping things simple and trusting what the batters already out there had shared about the conditions. Letting the ball come and not trying to overhit was key, and that final over ended up being decisive. (On spin versus pace and Nepal’s tactics) It was tough early on, especially against the slower bowlers. There was a moment where they were discussing their options for the final over, and in hindsight they might reflect on that, but overall their tactical approach was very strong and they took us right to the edge. (On the spinners’ role and team balance) The contribution from the spin group has been massive, and that adaptability will be crucial if pitches continue to play this way. Liam Dawson was exceptional today, and having multiple all-round spin options gives us flexibility as the tournament progresses. (On confidence and a light-hearted finish) The new haircut has started well — one game, one win — and hopefully it brings a few more results like this."

06:37 p.m. local time and IST:
England 184/7 beat Nepal 180/6 (20 overs)
Dipendra Singh Airee 44(29) | Lokesh Bam 39*(20)
Liam Dawson 2/21 (4) | Will Jacks 1/17 (2)

Phew! That was a game and a half! Nepal could almost stretch to that finish line, but ended up inches short. They lose the match by 4 runs, but they certainly showed that they have some special things to showcase in this World Cup.

Nepal ensured that the required rate never got too far out of their hands at any point in that chase. They knew that they required partnerships and leaving too much to the end can be to their peril. Kushal Bhurtel gave a good start in the powerplay. But the key was the partnership between Dipendra Singh Airee and Rohit Paudel in the middle. Airee was striking the ball clean right from the word go. Paudel had to work his way through the innings, but that ensured that they stayed in the game.

Then there was a quiet passage around the 14-15 over mark when Nepal lost both the set batters. With the required rate going up, it felt that the target was a bit too much for the lower middle-order. But Lokesh Bam had different plans. He played what might have probably been the best innings of his life, if not the biggest. He gave impetus to the chase and hope to the Nepalese fans, bringing the team to the brim. But it just wasn't to be in the end.

Sam Curran did extremely well, closing out that final over. The lengths were the key, not providing any scope for the batters to get underneath. Liam Dawson was the pick of the bowlers for England. While the others were going the distance, he first fund the breakthrough at the top and kept things quite in the middle, conceding less than a run per ball in a 9+ runs an over chase.

19.6 Sam Curran to Lokesh Bam, ENGLAND HOLD THEIR NERVE! What an absolute cliffhanger we've just witnessed. Spare a thought for Nepal, especially Lokesh Bam who brought them right back into the contest with some lusty blows. But, it's Sam Curran who brings his experience and gets England home. Too full outside the off-stump, Lokesh drilled it to long-off for just one and it wasn't enough. Take a bow Nepal, you can hold your heads high with this performance as they gave a proper scare to England. 

19.5 Sam Curran to Lokesh Bam, IT'S A DOT FROM CURRAN! What an over so far this from Curran. Too full on the leg-stump, Lokesh couldn't quite get underneath it, digs it out to long-on and declines the single.

19.1 Sam Curran to Lokesh Bam, OH! Full and angling across on fourth stump. Lokesh clears his front foot and swings to the hills, but ends up feeling the fresh air. It's a dot ball more importantly.