Netherlands edge Nepal in historic third super over finish in Glasgow

In a game that stretched the boundaries of T20 cricket, Netherlands defeated Nepal in a thrilling contest that required three Super Overs — the first instance in T20 International history — to separate the two sides. The drama unfolded at the Clydesdale Cricket Club in Glasgow, part of the ongoing Scotland Men's T20I Tri-Series.

Chasing 153, Nepal tied the match in regulation after a gritty fightback. What followed was a spectacle rarely seen in the shortest format — a sequence of Super Overs, two of which couldn’t produce a winner. The deadlock was finally broken when Michael Levitt smashed Sandeep Lamichhane for six off the first ball of the third Super Over to seal the game for the Dutch.

Put into bat, Netherlands managed 152 for 7, with Teja Nidamanuru anchoring the innings with 35 off 37 deliveries. Vikramjit Singh contributed 30, while Saqib Zulfiqar’s unbeaten 25 off 12 balls provided a late flourish. 

Sandeep Lamichhane was the pick of the bowlers for Nepal, returning impressive figures of 4-0-18-3. Nandan Yadav took two wickets, while Lalit Rajbanshi and Kushal Bhurtel chipped in with one each.

Nepal’s chase got off to a rocky start. Lokesh Bam was dismissed for a duck, and despite a positive 34 off 23 from Kushal Bhurtel, the middle order collapsed under pressure. Anil Sah and Dipendra Singh Airee managed just one and three respectively. Debutant Kiran Thagunna struggled to find momentum, scoring 15 off 25 without a boundary.

Captain Rohit Paudel held Nepal’s innings together with a fluent 48 off 35 balls, supported late by Rupesh Singh’s 19 off 14. Nepal needed 16 runs in the final over, and Nandan Yadav delivered under pressure, scoring 12 off the last four balls, including two boundaries, to tie the game at 152.

Netherlands bowling was disciplined throughout the match. Daniel Doram emerged as the top wicket-taker with 3 for 14 in his four overs, putting the brakes on Nepal’s batting.

Vikramjit Singh contributed with two crucial wickets, while Kyle Klein, Ben Fletcher, and Zach Lion-Cachet shared one wicket each. The Dutch attack kept the pressure on consistently, particularly in the death overs, which played a vital role in restricting Nepal’s chase and forcing the match into the Super Overs.

The first Super Over saw Bhurtel hammer 18 runs with two sixes and a boundary setting Netherlands a target of 19. In response, Levitt and Max O’Dowd matched it to force a second Super Over.

Lalit Rajbanshi was given the ball for the second attempt and conceded 17 runs. Dipendra Singh Airee and skipper Rohit Paudel came in for the chase. After failing to score off the consecutive two balls, Dipendra Singh Airee sent the final delivery over the rope to keep Nepal alive and send the match into a third Super Over.

In the decider, Nepal failed to put any runs on the board. Zach Lion-Cachet struck twice, removing Rohit Paudel and Rupesh Singh to set Netherlands a target of just one — and Michael Levitt made no mistake, clearing the rope off Lamichhane’s first delivery to end the contest.