Simmonds and Jangoo star in West Indies' consolation win
West Indies chased down a paltry target of 123 with 46 balls to spare, and avoided a whitewash
Ekanth
30-Sep-2025 • 7 hrs ago
File picture: Amir Jangoo played a match-winning fifty • Randy Brooks
West Indies 123 for 0 (Jangoo 74*, Auguste 41*) beat Nepal 122 (Bhurtel 39, Simmonds 4-15, Blades 2-20) by ten wickets
Nepal came into Sharjah eyeing a historic whitewash but ran into a revived West Indies side that put on the perfect game. However, that shouldn't take away too much from their impressive feat of completing their first series win against a Full Member nation.
Ramon Simmonds, one of the two changes they made, took a match-winning three-for after West Indies made the right call of bowling first on a pitch that was slow and offered regular sideways movement. Openers Amir Jangoo and Ackeem Auguste capitalised under easing conditions to take West Indies to their first ever ten-wicket win.
Nepal's start was sedate but secure with Kushal Malla and Bhurtel often in control of their shots. Bhurtel even whacked Mayers on the roof in the third over. The first sign of danger was Hosein getting turn and bounce in the third over to beat Bhurtel's sweep, and the shot did connect the next ball for a six over square leg. Nonetheless, free-flowing strokeplay wasn't to be seen.
The effect of Nepal facing 20 dots in their 37-run powerplay was slightly mitigated by three fours and two sixes.
Holder found success right after the powerplay using his high release and bounce. Malla was nearly caught behind trying to drive on the up through cover, Fabian Allen ran back from cover and dropped a tough chance off Bhurtel, and Malla's edge was found the last ball.
The spinners capitalised on the slowness and the sideways movement on offer. Hosein spun the ball away from around the wicket to beat the bat twice in the eighth over.
Bhurtel and Paudel tried to break free after two quiet overs. After a first-ball six, both batters could've been out. Paudel survived an lbw as Hosein overstepped, but Bhurtel was caught at slip playing the reverse sweep. He wasn't happy as the ball may have gone off just his forearm.
Simmonds had a late introduction with Nepal needing to play within themselves. His lengths were often short or full and he bagged the wickets of Paudel - gloved pull to the keeper - and Aarif Sheikh - upper cut to deep third - in his first two overs. In between, Gulsan Jha was run out after taking a head start too far before running back. Nepal made 62 for 5 in the middle overs despite West Indies dropping two chances.
Simmons and Blades took two wickets each in the death overs. A couple of boundaries from Lokesh Bam and Sundeep Jora took Nepal to 122.
West Indies' chase got off to a flier. In the first over, Auguste ensured that West Indies, too, hit a six on the roof. Karan KC was punished upon offering pace and missing his line. The openers peppered the leg-side boundary. With a four in each of the next four overs, West Indies bossed the 47-run powerplay.
Paudel dropped a simple chance off Auguste, on 29, at cover. There were no further chances of a Nepal comeback, certainly not after Mohammad Aadil Alam was taken down for 18 in the ninth over. Jangoo losing his bottom hand but still driving over long-off showed just how well he timed the ball.
Jangoo then went into top gear, smacking five sixes in his last nine balls. The back-to-back sixes off Paudel, that started the carnage, brought up his 38-ball fifty. Auguste played second fiddle as West Indies reached home with 46 balls to spare.
Ekanth is a sub-editor with ESPNcricinfo