Bowlers, Vesawkar give Nepal five-wicket win

Left-arm spinner Basant Regmi's 3 for 40 and Sharad Vesawkar's unbeaten 99-ball 50 helped Nepal beat Namibia by five wickets in the ICC World Cricket League Championship fixture in Kirtipur.

Namibia's top five failed to build on their starts after Stephan Baard, the captain, opted to bat. Baard fell in the third over after hitting four fours in his 18, while his opening partner, Zane Green fell soon after, in the seventh over. Pikky Ya France and Gerhard Erasmus gave Namibia some solidity, but Regmi's quick strikes in the middle overs triggered a collapse; they lost three wickets for seven runs to wobble at 109 for 6.

Sarel Burger made a 77-ball 38 from No. 8 to help Namibia cross 150. Although Regmi came back in the end overs to remove Burger, a lower-order cameo from JJ Smit - 26 off 22 balls - helped Namibia post 195 for 9 in 50 overs.

Nepal's openers fell in successive overs after a 42-run opening stand, but Paras Khadka, the captain, drove the chase forward by hitting two fours and a six in his 21. Sarel Burger induced some panic by dismissing Khadka and Raju Rijal to leave Nepal at 90 for 4. When Rajesh Pulami was dismissed, Nepal needed 82 with five wickets in hand. But Namibia were denied by the Vesawkar-Binod Bhandari's unbeaten 84-run stand that saw them home with 17 balls to spare.