Nepal look to maintain winning run

Nepal look to maintain winning run 

KATHMANDU, NOV 18 - After winning the first two matches, Nepal will look to continue the winning momentum when they take on Scotland in the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier match in Dubai on Monday. Nepal beat Denmark by five wickets in the tournament opener before a thrilling win over Kenya on Saturday. After half centuries from skipper Paras Khadka and Subash Khakurel had brought Nepal close to the Kenyan total of 182, Sharad Vesawkar blasted three sixes in the final over to compete a six-wicket win over the 2003 World Cup semi-finalists. The fact that they were able to chase a massive total against Kenya should give the Nepali side a huge confidence in batting, the team’s achilles heel so far. “It was a perfect win, just the kind of game we need for our confidence,” Nepal coach Pubudu Dassanayake said. “We want to play with the same spirit on Monday as Scotland are a tough opponent.” Scotland has been the ICC associate since 1994 and have qualified for the 2007 and 2009 Twenty20 World Cup. Nepal have played the Qualifier only once where they finished seventh in the 16-nation tournament. “Our target is to return home with a ticket to the World Cup and we are ready to take on any team to make that happen,” Khadka, who has been the back bone of Nepal’s victory in both the matches, said. “We have played some wonderful cricket so far,” added the Nepali skipper. “We want to continue with that to make sure we finish our group on top which will ensure an automatic qualification for the Twenty20 World Cup in Bangladesh.” To add to the Nepal’s advantage is that Scotland go in the Monday’s match with two straight losses. They went down against Bermuda by 18 runs in the opener and lost by 17 runs to Afghanistan. Former England payer Paul Collingwood, who lead England to the 2010 ICC Twenty20 World Cup victory, is the assistant coach of the Scottish team. Nepal are pitted in Group B with Afghanistan, the Nether-lands, Scotland, Bermuda, Papua New Guinea, Denmark and Kenya.