Nepal v Scotland | Match Highlights | ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2

Scotland beat Nepal by 5 runs in a low-scoring thriller

Scotland beat Nepal by 5 runs in a low-scoring thriller in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2 match at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur on Tuesday. Chasing a modest target of 145, Scotland wobbled at the start, reduced to 28-4 at one stage. However, Richie Berrington and Chris Greaves added 58 runs for the 5th wicket to revive the Scots' innings. Greaves scored a vital 45 off 73 balls while Berrington struck 22. Scotland eventually reached 140 thanks to a late cameo from Safyaan Sharif, who smashed 18 off 11 balls. Nepal's bowlers, led by Sompal Kami (3-15), put up a disciplined performance to restrict Scotland to a below-par total. In the chase, Nepal made a disastrous start, losing their top 3 batters inside the first 4 overs. Rohit Paudel and Dipendra Singh Airee tried to rebuild the innings adding 42 runs for the 4th wicket, but the Nepali middle order failed to capitalize with only Airee crossing the 20-run mark. Kushal Bhurtel (16) and skipper Gyanendra Malla (14) provided late resistance, but it wasn't enough as Scotland held on for a narrow 5-run victory. For Scotland, Mark Watt was the pick of the bowlers taking 3-21 while Sharif and Michael Leask chipped in with two wickets each.

Player of the match: Chris Greaves

Chris Greaves was adjudged the player of the match for his all-around performance. The all-rounder not only top-scored for Scotland with a crucial 45 but also bowled two economical overs in the match.

What's next for the two teams?

With this win, Scotland moved to the third position in the points table with 4 wins from 6 matches. Nepal remained at the sixth spot, having won 3 out of their 6 matches so far. Both teams will be in action on Wednesday, with Nepal taking on the USA while Scotland will face Namibia.

Key stats

* The match was played in front of a decent crowd at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur. * Scotland won the toss and elected to bat first. * Scotland were reduced to 28-4 in the 9th over, but a 58-run stand between Richie Berrington and Chris Greaves revived their innings. * Nepal's bowlers did a commendable job restricting Scotland to 140 all out. * Nepal made a disastrous start to their chase, losing their top three batters inside the first four overs. * Dipendra Singh Airee was the top scorer for Nepal with 22 runs. * Mark Watt was the pick of the bowlers for Scotland, taking 3-21. * Chris Greaves was adjudged the player of the match for his all-round performance.

Sources

* [ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2: Scotland beat Nepal by 5 runs](https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/2627838) * [Nepal v Scotland, ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2, 14th Match Report](https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/icc-mens-cricket-world-cup-league-2-2019-2023-1224218/nepal-vs-scotland-14th-match-1307974/match-report)