Mumbai: Two-time champions England survived a massive scare against a doughty Nepal in their Group C clash of the T20 World Cup, clinching a narrow four-run win in a tense finish to their tournament opener here on Sunday.
Nepal came within touching distance of creating history as they nearly upset one of the teams to beat in the competition, scoring 180/6 in reply to England’s 184/7.
Lokesh Bam (39 not out off 20 balls) kept Nepal in the hunt for an upset victory but could not finish the game in the final over after a heroic effort.
Needing 10 runs off the last over, Nepal couldn’t find a boundary as their inspired show with the bat ended in a narrow loss. Sam Curran nailed his yorkers relentlessly as all that Nepal could manage were five runs.
Nevertheless, more than 17,000 fans thronged the iconic Wankhede Stadium and witnessed Nepal punching far above their weight, with majority of them being from the Himalayan nation.
Skipper Rohit Paudel (39), Dipendra Singh Airee (39), Kushal Bhurtel (29) and Lokesh, who smashed four boundaries and two sixes in a late assault, fought valiantly but they could not take their side over the line.
Lokesh went hammer and tongs when Nepal’s backs were against the wall, hitting two sixes off Jofra Archer’s 18th over and two consecutive fours off Luke Wood’s penultimate over when they needed 46 runs off the final three overs.
Bhurtel had provided early fireworks while a robust 82-run stand for the third wicket between Paudel and Airee consolidated Nepal.
Even as Nepal lost an early wicket in the form of Aasif Sheikh (7), Bhurtel cut loose to score a 17-ball 29 with four boundaries and a six to set the tone.
But his promising start came to a meek end when Bhurtel couldn’t keep it down, giving a simple return catch to Will Jacks in the sixth over.
Nepal’s run-chase got a much-needed impetus in the 14th over when skipper Paudel tore into the seniormost England bowler Rashid Khan, pulling a wrong-un into the stands for a six and driving down the next ball powerfully through covers for four.
Paudel then produced the ‘shot of the match’ when he executed the perfect switch-hit, middling the ball which went sailing over the fielder at deep square leg.
However, a drinks break broke the momentum which Airee and Paudel were attaining, with the former mis-hitting one off Sam Curran in the 15th over.
Soon after, Paudel departed when he swept one straight to Phil Salt at deep midwicket off Liam Dawson after playing a fine knock which raised Nepal’s hopes.
Earlier, Jacob Bethell (55) and skipper Harry Brook (53) peeled off attacking fifties to power England to a formidable 184 for seven.
The young left-handed Bethell gave a fine example of himself on T20 World Cup debut in front of a partisan crowd with his rapid half-century — off 35 balls — with four sixes and as many fours, while skipper Brook got back among runs in his bid to change the narrative around him.
Brook fell after making a vital knock that came off 32 balls with four sixes and three fours, putting on a 71-run stand for the fourth wicket with Bethell as Nepal bowlers presented a strong challenge on their part.
Sher Malla’s joy knew no bounds when he had Phil Salt (1) caught on the first ball of his second over while Nandan Yadav got the key wicket of Jos Buttler (26), just when he was starting to rebuild with Bethell.
Yadav pitched one outside off to have Buttler caught behind for Nepal’s second wicket in the fifth over, and the third came in the seventh when spinner Sandeep Lamichhane had Tom Banton trapped leg-before while attempting to reverse sweep.
England made 45 runs in the final three overs with Will Jacks hammering four sixes and a four to make 39 not out off 18 balls.
Fans donning a different blue-coloured jersey mixed with red thronged the stadium and cheered every dot ball and every good effort produced by their players on the hallowed turf of this iconic ground.
The sheer numbers of Nepal fans, who easily outnumbered that of England, showcased the passion for cricket in the Himalayan nation and their players did not disappoint them either.
Nepal fielders held on to their catches, while the pair of Airee (2/23) and Yadav (2/25) claimed a couple of wickets each. Also among the wickets were Malla and Lamichhane.
