Scotland edge past Nepal in a thriller

Scotland registered a narrow two-run win over Nepal in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2 on Sunday at the Forfarshire Cricket Club Ground in Dundee.

Batting first after winning the toss, Scotland set a record 324-run target which became just enough for the hosts despite a valiant fight by the batters in the second innings.

Scotland were two wickets down early with George Munsey and Brandon McMullen both falling to Karan KC in single digits. Munsey didn not even trouble the scorers, departing for a five-ball duck.

Charlie Tear (68), continuing his good form in the series, partnered with skipper Richie Berrington for a 94-run stand before he had his stumps disturbed by Lalit Rajbanshi.

At 200/5 after 40 overs, Scotland looked short of a big total, but Michael Leask and Berrington launched a late assault, adding 123 runs in the final overs to lift Scotland to a mamoth 323/6.

Berrington scored his fifth ODI hundred — a 114-ball 102 that included six boundaries and a maximum — while Leask, dropped on 14 by Sompal Kami, remained unbeaten on a quickfire 96 off 62 balls, featuring 12 boundaries and three sixes.

The 125-run stand between Leask and Berrington was Scotland's highest ever sixth-wicket partnership in ODIs.

Dipendra Singh Airee picked up two wickets, returning with figures of 7-0-32-2. Karan KC also claimed two, but proved expensive in his final spell, leaking 62 runs in his last four overs and finishing with 2/74 from nine.

Lalit Rajbanshi was economical, conceding just 41 runs from his 10 overs with one wicket. Sandeep Lamichhane, Sompal Kami, and Aarif Sheikh went wicketless.

Nepal had a shaky start to the chase, losing Kushal Bhurtel (17), Asif Sheikh (8), and skipper Rohit Paudel (3) inside the powerplay.

Aarif Sheikh then steadied the ship with Bhim Sharki in a 94-run partnership before falling to Leask.

Bhim Sharki top scored with 73 off 85 balls, including eight boundaries.

Nepal, in all sorts of trouble at 183/6, needed a partnership when Sompal Kami and Dipendra Singh Airee stitched together a 105-run stand for the seventh wicket, Nepal's highest in ODI history for that position.

Scotland began to lose control with sloppy fielding, allowing Nepal to rely heavily on sharp running between the wickets. Despite not hitting boundaries late in the innings, the running of Sompal and Airee brought Nepal back into the contest.

Sompal scored 67 off 44 with three fours and four sixes, while Dipendra Singh Airee made 56 from 51 with two boundaries.

Karan KC chipped in with a handy 17 off 10 but fell to Safyaan Sharif in the final over, who was given the task of defending seven. Sharif then hit the exposed stumps of Lalit Rajbanshi to seal the win for Scotland.

Nepal ended on 321, falling just two runs short of what could have been a record-breaking chase.

Debutant Mackenzie Jones stood out with 3/55 in his nine overs along with three brilliant catches in the field. 

Player of the Match Leask also picked up two wickets along with Safyaan Sharif, while Brandon McMullen, and Charlie Cassell chipped in with one each.

Nepal will next face Netherlands on Tuesday, while Scotland will meet Netherlands after a three-day break on Thursday.