Nepal stun Kenya in run glut

Afghanistan got their World T20 Qualifier campaign back on track by holding off Scotland, who were given a solid platform in their chase by half-centuries from Calum MacLeod and Matt Machan but couldn't finish the game off. Scotland's display was an improvement on their defeat to Bermuda on Friday but they are still looking for their first win. Afghanistan opener Mohammad Shahzad got the innings off to a blistering start before he was dismissed for 42 off 22 balls in the sixth over. Shahzad was the first of three victims for Iain Wardlaw but Mohammad Nabi and Samiullah Shenwari kept the innings ticking over. MacLeod and Machan responded by putting on 76 for the second wicket but the asking rate was up to ten an over when MacLeod departed and Scotland's middle order fell away in the closing overs.

A blitz from Sharad Vesawkar, who had earlier conceded 30 runs from his only over, propelled Nepal to victory in the highest-scoring match of the tournament so far. Kenya, who made 176 against Papua New Guinea on Friday, were on the losing side after setting a respectable target for the second game running. Rakep Patel's aggressive hundred, which featured ten sixes, pushed his team to an even higher total - after they had been 32 for 4 - and it was the No. 6 batsman who took to Vesawkar in the 17th over. That looked like being the difference between the two sides, despite half-centuries from Subash Khakurel and Paras Khadka, when Vesawkar came in with 20 required from eight deliveries - but he smashed three sixes to give Nepal their second win in a row.

A century for Tony Ura and Norman Vanua's brilliant opening spell with the ball condemned Netherlands to a huge defeat in Dubai. Fresh from beating Afghanistan, Netherlands were brought back to earth by another vibrant display from Papua New Guinea, who joined Nepal and Bermuda on two wins from two. In pursuit of the highest total made thus far, Netherlands slumped to 15 for 5 after 3.1 overs, with 19-year-old Vanua removing three of the top four, and only an unbeaten first T20 fifty from Michael Rippon prevented utter humiliation. Having chosen to field, Netherlands quickly saw the match get away from them, as Ura and Kila Pala rattled off a partnership of 127 at faster than ten an over. Pala went for 57 and Ura fell for a round 100 in the final over as PNG racked up an intimidating 193 for 3.

Bermuda followed their upset win against Scotland by thumping Denmark by nine wickets and 22 balls to spare. The victory was set up by their bowlers, who restricted Denmark to 111 for 8 despite Bermuda losing the toss. Denmark did not have any significant partnerships and only two of their batsmen made it past 20. Hamid Shah's 31 at No. 6 was the top score. Derrick Brangman took 3 for 29 for Bermuda, while Dion Stovell and Jacobi Robinson took two each. Stovell gave Bermuda's chase a quick start by scoring 24 off 11 balls and they were 37 in 3.3 overs when he was dismissed. Tre Manders and David Hemp had the luxury of playing carefully and they completed the chase in 16.2 overs. Manders was unbeaten on 45 and Hemp on 27.