Scotland beat Nepal by two runs in a rain-hit one-day international in Kirtipur, clinging on after Nepal were set 221 in 39 overs and finished on 218-7.
George Munsey’s 75 from 62 balls gave Scotland the platform they needed after they batted first and reached 243-8 in 50 overs. Finlay McCreath added 35 in a partnership of 114 with Munsey, while Michael Leask made 29, Mark Watt 24 and Michael English finished 34 not out to keep the innings moving when Nepal had spells of control.
Richie Berrington said Scotland knew from the first ball they would have to work hard for the result, and praised his side for holding their nerve under pressure. He also pointed to the way Watt, Oli Davidson and Brad Currie delivered when the margin was at its thinnest.
The game turned on the chase. Rain delayed Nepal’s pursuit and cut the target from Scotland’s full total, but the home side still had a path to victory when they needed 13 runs from the final over. Gulshan Jha kept that hope alive, finishing unbeaten on 61 from 35 deliveries, yet Scotland shut the door as Currie took 3-43 and kept the innings under pressure. Rohit Paudel was bowled trying to scoop Currie, and Dipendra Singh Airee sliced Davidson to short third, two dismissals that left Nepal just short despite reaching 218-7.
For Scotland, the win mattered beyond the narrow scoreline. It keeps them level at the top of Cricket World Cup League 2 with the USA on 36 points, although they have played five games more than the Americans. That means Thursday’s meeting with the USA carries immediate weight, with Scotland trying to turn a strong position in the table into something more secure before the games in hand begin to matter.
Berrington said Currie’s role has become simple to trust because the left-armer is clear in what he is trying to do, and he added that the team’s faith in him was fully rewarded. On a day shaped by rain, a revised target and one last over under strain, Scotland found just enough to survive and Nepal found just enough resistance to make the margin sting.
