Ireland beat Nepal in CWC Qualifier by 2-Wickets

Ireland secured a thrilling two-wicket victory against Nepal in the battle for seventh place at the Cricket World Cup Qualifier. Harry Tector and Curtis Campher were instrumental in leading Ireland to success while chasing a target of 269 runs.

The Irish innings got off to a shaky start, losing early wickets with the score at 23/2, as Andy McBrine and Andrew Balbirnie fell quickly. However, Tector’s composed batting steadied the ship. The 23-year-old showcased his skill and determination, becoming the focal point around which the rest of the batting line-up rallied. Partnering with Lorcan Tucker, Tector built a solid foundation for Ireland.

Just as their partnership threatened to take the game away from Nepal, Karan struck to dismiss Tucker, leaving Ireland at 94/3. Tector continued to hold the innings together, but eventually fell for a well-constructed 60 off 76 balls. It was then up to Curtis Campher and George Dockrell to carry Ireland’s hopes forward.

Despite a brief disruption caused by Nepal’s bowlers, Campher took charge and resumed from where Tector had left off. The partnership with Dockrell allowed Ireland to regain momentum and inch closer to the target. Nepal managed to break the stand, dismissing Dockrell, but Gareth Delany and Mark Adair skillfully guided Ireland closer to victory.

With eight wickets down and needing five runs off the final over, the tension was palpable. However, Barry McCarthy displayed nerves of steel, smashing a boundary off the second ball to seal a thrilling victory for Ireland.

Earlier in the match, Ireland’s Craig Young made an impact with early wickets, removing the dangerous Kushal Bhurtel and Gyanendra Malla. Despite a half-century partnership between Arjun Saud and skipper Rohit Paudel, Curtis Campher dismissed Paudel to break their partnership.

Nepal found hope through Bhim Sarki and Kushal Malla, who put on another significant partnership. However, Ireland struck back with three quick wickets to halt Nepal’s progress. Sandeep Lamichhane and Gulsan Jha then provided a late surge for Nepal with crucial boundaries.

Despite a double-wicket over from Mark Adair, Nepal managed to post a competitive total of 268 runs. It set the stage for a challenging run chase, which Ireland eventually achieved thanks to the heroics of Tector, Campher, and McCarthy.