Alam juggernaut rolls on

KATHMANDU POST REPORT, May 26

Allrounder Mehboob Alam followed up Sunday’s record-breaking feat with another sterling performance Monday to guide Nepal to an easy 108-run win over Norway in its third match of the World Cricket League Division 5 tournament at the Farmers Field ground in Jersey.

He made a patient fifty to help Nepal to a competitive total of 204 after being sent in to bat and then took two wickets to bowl Norway out for 96 to fashion a comfortable win.

Nepal was struggling at 73/5 losing Paresh Lohani (4), Sharad Vesawkar (5), Mahesh Chhetri (15), Shakti Gauchan (15) and Gyanendra Malla (13). But the normally flamboyant Alam played a relatively restrained innings of 51 off 73 hitting four boundaries and featured in two 40-run partnerships to rescue Nepal.

He first partnered Paras Khadka, who made 23 0ff 32 with fours, for the fourth wicket and then added another 40 runs with skipper Binod Das for the eighth wicket. Das made 32 off 53 and was the last man out in 49.4 overs going for a big hit.

The skipper also stitched two crucial partnerships of 17 runs with Dhirendra Chand (12) and 19 runs with last man Sanjam Regmi (7*) to take Nepal beyond 200 runs.

Zeeshan Ali and Majid Zia Butt took three wickets each for Norway.

In reply, Norway played slowly and never looked in contention. Seamers Paras Khadka and Dhirendra Chand, and spinner Basanta Regmi also took two wickets each to bowl Norway out in 46.4 overs.

Ahmed Bhatti and Abdul Hadi made 15 runs each for Norway. Nepal faces Vanuatu at the Victoria College ground in its fourth league match on Tuesday.

Here is the after match interview with our Captain Binod K. Das;
http://www.cricketeurope2.net/AUDIOVIDEO/2008WCL5AUDIO/NEPvNORBKDas.WMA