Nepal and UAE to lock horns in ICC Intercontinental Cup 2005 Asia Group decider

The Asia Group of the ICC Intercontinental Cup 2005 will be decided in Kathmandu, Nepal from 7-9 May with the home side needing a victory against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to progress to the semi-final stage.

UAE beat Hong Kong by seven wickets in the tournament opener while Nepal could only draw against the same opposition in a rain-affected match last weekend. Anything less than a win for the home side will see UAE win the Asia Group for the second year in a row.

Nepal captain Binod Kumar Das knows that, despite home advantage, his side goes into the tie as the underdog.

"We had strong hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals this year but we were unfortunate that our match against Hong Kong was affected by rain," said Das.

"As always, playing against UAE will be a good opportunity for us to test our skills against a tougher side and to learn valuable lessons in the process. We are looking forward to a competitive and enjoyable match and, hopefully, a victory."

Das's opposite number, UAE captain Mohammed Tauqir is looking for his side to build on its success in last season's ICC Intercontinental Cup.

"This is a wonderful opportunity for us to continue the recent improvement in our form. Playing Nepal is always a tough challenge and it will provide us with a great yard stick to measure our recent development," said Tauqir.

The only other completed match in the ICC Intercontinental Cup 2005 is the Africa Group qualifier between Uganda and Kenya which Kenya won by 161 runs.

A revised date has now been set for Kenya's second qualifying match against Namibia. This match will take place in Windhoek from 3-5 June. It will be preceded by Namibia's tie against Uganda in Kampala from 14-16 May.

This is the second season of the ICC Intercontinental Cup. Scotland won the inaugural three-day first class competition for ICC Associate Members in 2004 without losing a match. The holders' defence of their crown begins in Holland on 29 July.

The Americas region looks set to produce an intense festival of cricket with the three qualifying matches between Canada, Bermuda and the USA scheduled for Toronto in Canada from 23 August to 2 September.

The ICC Intercontinental Cup format remains unchanged in its second season. The top team from each of the four regions will progress to the semi-finals and final to be played in Namibia from 23 to 29 October 2005.

There have been minor changes to the points structure with more rewards available for first innings runs. Full details of the tournament rules and playing conditions as well as scorecards from completed matches can be found at www.icc-intercontinentalcup.com.