MUMBAI, Feb 8: Two-time champions England survived a massive scare against a doughty Nepal in their Group C clash of the T20 World Cup, clinching a narrow four-run win in a tense finish to their tournament opener here today.
Nepal came within touching distance of creating history as they nearly upset one of the teams to beat in the competition, scoring 180/6 in reply to England’s 184/7.
Lokesh Bam (39 not out off 20 balls) kept Nepal in the hunt for an upset victory but could not finish the game in the final over after a heroic effort.
Needing 10 runs off the last over, Nepal couldn’t find a boundary as their inspired show with the bat ended in a narrow loss. Sam Curran nailed his yorkers relentlessly as all that Nepal could manage were five runs.
Nevertheless, more than 17,000 fans thronged the iconic Wankhede Stadium and witnessed Nepal punching far above their weight, with majority of them being from the Himalayan nation.
Skipper Rohit Paudel (39), Dipendra Singh Airee (39), Kushal Bhurtel (29) and Lokesh, who smashed four boundaries and two sixes in a late assault, fought valiantly but they could not take their side over the line.
Lokesh went hammer and tongs when Nepal’s backs were against the wall, hitting two sixes off Jofra Archer’s 18th over and two consecutive fours off Luke Wood’s penultimate over when they needed 46 runs off the final three overs.
Bhurtel had provided early fireworks while a robust 82-run stand for the third wicket between Paudel and Airee consolidated Nepal.
Even as Nepal lost an early wicket in the form of Aasif Sheikh (7), Bhurtel cut loose to score a 17-ball 29 with four boundaries and a six to set the tone.
But his promising start came to a meek end when Bhurtel couldn’t keep it down, giving a simple return catch to Will Jacks in the sixth over.
Nepal’s run-chase got a much-needed impetus in the 14th over when skipper Paudel tore into the seniormost England bowler Rashid Khan, pulling a wrong-un into the stands for a six and driving down the next ball powerfully through covers for four.
Brief Scores:
England: 184 for 7 in 20 overs (Jacob Bethell 55, Harry Brook 53).
Nepal: 180 for 6 in 20 overs (Lokesh Bam 39 not out, Dipendra Singh Airee 44; Liam Dawson 2/21). (PTI)
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