Post by Finlip on Feb 20, 2006 13:44:39 GMT 6
Nepal's under-19 cricket team recently played their fourth succesive Under-19 Cricket World Cup. The performance of this team has really been remarkable. Nepal has won the Under-19 ACC Trophy three times in succession to grab the only available qualification spot. In the tournament before, there were two places available and Nepal qualified as a result of being runners up to Bangladesh in the ACC tournament.
In all four tournaments, there have been four groups of four teams each in the first round where the top two from each group advance further. However, there is also a plate championship for teams that fail to progress from their groups.
Nepal got out of their group with the help of weather in the very first tournament held in Sri Lanka. Nepal's group contained Pakistan, South Africa, and Kenya. Nepal lost to Pakistan but their match against South Africa was drawn because rain intervened. However, Nepal were able to beat Kenya in their last match and thus make it to the super eight. South Africa lost to Pakistan and were unable to win their matches against Nepal and Kenya because the rain came in both matches. Therefore, Nepal advanced to the super eight at the expense of South Africa. In the super eight, Nepal did show promise but were beaten by India, Sri Lanka, and England. Thus, Nepal couldn't reach the semifinals.
In the next tournament in New Zealand, Nepal started with a defeat against England. However, they beat Pakistan in the match held the next day to shock everyone. Nepal also beat Papua New Guinea in their last league match and finished with two wins out of three. However, this was not enough for Nepal to advance to the last eight. England's loss to Pakistan meant that three teams ended with two wins each and Nepal were the team who had to give way. In the plate championships, Nepal won all three matches in their group to book a birth against Bangladesh in the semi-finals. They made Bangladesh their second test-playing victim. However, Zimbabwe, lead by Tatenda Taibu, stopped Nepal's six-match winning streak in the plate final.
Two years later in Bangladesh, Nepal were drawn with England and South Africa. Nepal lost to England in the first match. However, the next day, they were able to shock South Africa. Despite winning the third match, Nepal were unable to make it through to the next round because England were beaten by South Africa to make it two wins each for the three teams. In the plate championships, Nepal had Australia in their group. However, even before the group match against Australia, Nepal lost to Scotland and were thus unable to get into the plate championship semi-finals. This is Nepal's only defeat to a non-test playing side in the under-19 world cups so far.
Nepal drew England for a third time in succession in this tournament and had the first match against them. Nepal lost that match. However, the next day, Nepal lost to Zimbabwe from the brink of victory. Nepal did beat Ireland in the last group match and headed to the plate quarter-finals. This time there was no second group stage. In the plate quarter-finals, Nepal beat Uganda to reach the plate-semis. Awaiting them were the mighty South Africans who were third in the group that consisted of Australia, the West Indies, and the United States. South Africa wanted revenge for their defeat to Nepal two years before. However, it was not to be. Nepal beat South Africa to book a plate-final berth against New Zealand. Against New Zealand in the finals, Nepal had to bowl first after losing the toss. They did very well to restrict the Kiwis to a score of 204. Nepal would have fancied their chances of chasing the total in the beginning. However, I'm not sure they would have felt so after New Zealand restricted them to 6/75 in the twenty-seventh over. However, the five remaining batsmen played well to take Nepal home in the last over with only one wicket in hand. This means Nepal has five wins against test-playing nations in the last three tournaments. Nepals victims include the likes of Pakistan, South Africa, and New Zealand along with Bangladesh. South Africa have lost to Nepal two times in a row. The West Indies remain the only top team which Nepal haven't met in the under-19 world cup. Nepal are yet to lose to Pakistan, South Africa, New Zealand, and Bangladesh. Nepal haven't beaten England in four attempts. They have lost twice to Zimbabwe and once to India, Sri Lanka, and Australia. Nepal have also lost once to Scotland. They have beaten every other team including Kenya, Canada, Ireland, Namibia, Uganda, and Papua New Guinea.
The players at under-ninteen level have been doing very well recently. This form has transformed to the senior level as well. Recently Nepal thrashed the UAE at home. Nepal's senior team had won the right to play one day international cricket in the Asia Cup cricket tournament. However, that right was scrapped by the governing body of Asian cricket. Nepal will have to wait. But their turn will eventually come. Nepal have shown more promise than any other developing cricketing nation. They have had a few setbacks which includes the failure to qualify for the cricket world cup in the West Indies and failuer to reach the semi-finals of the last ACC trophy. But all hope shouldn't be lost. Nepal, unlike other developing nations, have players from their own country making up the entire squad. It's not like the other teams which have former Indians and Pakistanis in their team.
Nepal have done very well to progress this far. I hope they will keep improving.
In all four tournaments, there have been four groups of four teams each in the first round where the top two from each group advance further. However, there is also a plate championship for teams that fail to progress from their groups.
Nepal got out of their group with the help of weather in the very first tournament held in Sri Lanka. Nepal's group contained Pakistan, South Africa, and Kenya. Nepal lost to Pakistan but their match against South Africa was drawn because rain intervened. However, Nepal were able to beat Kenya in their last match and thus make it to the super eight. South Africa lost to Pakistan and were unable to win their matches against Nepal and Kenya because the rain came in both matches. Therefore, Nepal advanced to the super eight at the expense of South Africa. In the super eight, Nepal did show promise but were beaten by India, Sri Lanka, and England. Thus, Nepal couldn't reach the semifinals.
In the next tournament in New Zealand, Nepal started with a defeat against England. However, they beat Pakistan in the match held the next day to shock everyone. Nepal also beat Papua New Guinea in their last league match and finished with two wins out of three. However, this was not enough for Nepal to advance to the last eight. England's loss to Pakistan meant that three teams ended with two wins each and Nepal were the team who had to give way. In the plate championships, Nepal won all three matches in their group to book a birth against Bangladesh in the semi-finals. They made Bangladesh their second test-playing victim. However, Zimbabwe, lead by Tatenda Taibu, stopped Nepal's six-match winning streak in the plate final.
Two years later in Bangladesh, Nepal were drawn with England and South Africa. Nepal lost to England in the first match. However, the next day, they were able to shock South Africa. Despite winning the third match, Nepal were unable to make it through to the next round because England were beaten by South Africa to make it two wins each for the three teams. In the plate championships, Nepal had Australia in their group. However, even before the group match against Australia, Nepal lost to Scotland and were thus unable to get into the plate championship semi-finals. This is Nepal's only defeat to a non-test playing side in the under-19 world cups so far.
Nepal drew England for a third time in succession in this tournament and had the first match against them. Nepal lost that match. However, the next day, Nepal lost to Zimbabwe from the brink of victory. Nepal did beat Ireland in the last group match and headed to the plate quarter-finals. This time there was no second group stage. In the plate quarter-finals, Nepal beat Uganda to reach the plate-semis. Awaiting them were the mighty South Africans who were third in the group that consisted of Australia, the West Indies, and the United States. South Africa wanted revenge for their defeat to Nepal two years before. However, it was not to be. Nepal beat South Africa to book a plate-final berth against New Zealand. Against New Zealand in the finals, Nepal had to bowl first after losing the toss. They did very well to restrict the Kiwis to a score of 204. Nepal would have fancied their chances of chasing the total in the beginning. However, I'm not sure they would have felt so after New Zealand restricted them to 6/75 in the twenty-seventh over. However, the five remaining batsmen played well to take Nepal home in the last over with only one wicket in hand. This means Nepal has five wins against test-playing nations in the last three tournaments. Nepals victims include the likes of Pakistan, South Africa, and New Zealand along with Bangladesh. South Africa have lost to Nepal two times in a row. The West Indies remain the only top team which Nepal haven't met in the under-19 world cup. Nepal are yet to lose to Pakistan, South Africa, New Zealand, and Bangladesh. Nepal haven't beaten England in four attempts. They have lost twice to Zimbabwe and once to India, Sri Lanka, and Australia. Nepal have also lost once to Scotland. They have beaten every other team including Kenya, Canada, Ireland, Namibia, Uganda, and Papua New Guinea.
The players at under-ninteen level have been doing very well recently. This form has transformed to the senior level as well. Recently Nepal thrashed the UAE at home. Nepal's senior team had won the right to play one day international cricket in the Asia Cup cricket tournament. However, that right was scrapped by the governing body of Asian cricket. Nepal will have to wait. But their turn will eventually come. Nepal have shown more promise than any other developing cricketing nation. They have had a few setbacks which includes the failure to qualify for the cricket world cup in the West Indies and failuer to reach the semi-finals of the last ACC trophy. But all hope shouldn't be lost. Nepal, unlike other developing nations, have players from their own country making up the entire squad. It's not like the other teams which have former Indians and Pakistanis in their team.
Nepal have done very well to progress this far. I hope they will keep improving.