Nepal has set a paltry 168-run target for the Netherlands in its last group stage match against the Netherlands under the ICC World Cup Qualifier.
Invited to bat first after losing the toss, Nepal notched up 167 runs losing all the wickets in 44.3 overs at the Takasinga Cricket Sports Club in Zimbabwe on Saturday.
To restrict Nepal, the Netherlander Logan van Beek took the highest 4 wickets giving away 24 runs.
Similarly, Bas de Leede and Vikramjit Singh grabbed two wickets each while Clayton Floyd and Aryan Dutt claimed one wicket each.
Nepal's Aasif Sheikh was ducked out while Aarif Sheikh was sent to the pavilion for 6 wickets.
Rohit Paudel scored 33 runs including 3 fours and 1 six off 55 balls. Similarly, Kushal Bhurtel and Sandeep Lamichhane made 27 runs each while Bhim Sharki contributed 22 runs.
Nepal must beat the Netherlands to maintain its journey to the Super Six. If Nepal loses today's match, it will be eliminated from the group stage. One team between Nepal and Netherlands will make it to the Super Six.
If Nepal defeats the Netherlands, they have a strong chance of reaching the Super Six. The Netherlands will play the West Indies in the final match of the group stage, in which the Netherlands has to be beaten.
In the first match, Nepal lost to the home team Zimbabwe by 8 wickets. After defeating America by 6 wickets in the second match, Nepal suffered a massive 101-run defeat against the West Indies in the third match.
Similarly, the Netherlands also lost the first match to Zimbabwe by 6 wickets and defeated the USA by 5 wickets. If the Netherlands beat Nepal in today's match, the Netherlands will be in the top 3 and reach the Super Six. Nepal's journey will be over.
Points tally
West Indies are at the top of Group A with 4 points from two matches. Zimbabwe, who scored 4 points in the same match, is in second place based on net return rate. The Netherlands is in third place with 2 points after winning one match and losing one match. After losing 2 matches and winning 1 match, Nepal is in fourth place with 2 points. Losing 3 games in a row, USA is out of the race for Super Six.
Group B: Oman is atop the points tally with 4 points from 2 matches. Despite equal 2 points, Sri Lanka is second and Scotland third due to net return rate. Ireland is fourth and UAE is at the bottom of the points table after losing two matches.
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