The Netherlands emerged victorious against Nepal in a historic cricket match in Glasgow that went to three Super Overs – the first time in men’s professional cricket history. The thrilling contest saw multiple Super Overs before Netherlands finally secured the win, with both teams matching each other throughout regular play and the first two Super Overs.Nepal needed 16 runs in the final over of regular time, with Nandan Yadav hitting Kyle Klein for 4, 2, 2, 4 to force the first Super Over. The game remained evenly matched as both teams continued to trade impressive performances.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!In the first Super Over, Daniel Doram conceded 19 runs to Nepal, with Kushal Bhurtel hitting two sixes and a four. Netherlands matched this when Michael Levitt hit a six on the first ball, followed by Max O’Dowd’s six and four on the final two balls.The second Super Over saw Lalit Rajbanshi being hit for two sixes but managing to restrict Netherlands to 17 runs. Nepal’s response included Rohit Paudel’s six and Dipendra Singh Airee’s four, with Airee hitting the final ball over cow corner to force an unprecedented third Super Over.The final Super Over proved decisive as Netherlands’ Zach Lion-Cachet prevented Nepal from scoring any runs while taking two wickets. Levitt sealed the victory with a six over long-on against Sandeep Lamichhane.Earlier in the match, Netherlands had set a target of 152 runs. Ben Fletcher made an impressive T20I debut by dismissing Lokesh Bam, while Klein removed Anil Sah, putting Nepal at 9 for 2 in 2.1 overs.
Nepal showed resilience as Bhurtel and Paudel launched a counterattack, reaching 52 runs in five overs. However, Doram’s bowling proved crucial, taking three wickets and restricting Nepal’s scoring rate.The match’s momentum shifted multiple times during Nepal’s chase. With 56 runs needed in the final five overs, Rupesh briefly revived Nepal’s hopes with a four and six before falling. Paudel and Karan KC maintained Nepal’s challenge until the regular time ended in a tie.In the first innings, Nepal’s Nandan conceded early boundaries to O’Dowd, who also hit Karan for a six. The introduction of spin bowling changed the game’s dynamics, with Rajbanshi taking O’Dowd’s wicket with his first delivery.Lamichhane made a significant impact after the powerplay, claiming three crucial wickets. He dismissed Levitt by hitting the middle stump, had Netherlands captain Scott Edwards caught at deep backward square leg, and removed Noah Croes.Despite these setbacks, Saqib Zulfiqar’s late batting performance helped Netherlands post a competitive total of over 150 runs.
