Despite the Netherlands scoring 174/7, Nepal successfully chased the target to win the Scotland T20I Tri-Series 2025 Match No. 5, Played on 19 June
Story Highlights:
- Michael Levitt played an aggressive knock of 86 runs off 53 balls, but Nepal chased down the target of 175 to beat the Netherlands by six wickets in Antwerp.
- Kushal Bhurtel (65) and Aarif Sheikh (39*) gave Nepal victory with two balls to spare.
- Nepal is now at the top of the points table with four points, ahead of the Netherlands on net run rate.
Playing the third match in the triangular T20 series, Michael Levitt kept his excellent form with the bat by scoring 86 runs off 53 balls, but it was not enough to guide NL to victory as Nepal chased down a challenging total of 175 runs to win the game by 6 wickets in Antwerp.
Having been put into bat, the Netherlands faced early difficulties, as they lost four wickets during the 45-run powerplay. Levitt did not, however, dissolve in the breakdown. He ran his half-century in 20 balls with a blizzard of fours and a total of six sixes after contributing a vital 63-run stand with Saqib Zulfiqar off the fifth wicket.
As Sandeep Lamichhane stumped Zulfiqar to dismiss him for 14, and later Karan KC got rid of Levitt, Nepal clawed back. Roelof van der Merwe gave the Netherlands some late thrust with a rapid-fire 36* off 21 balls and gave the Dutch a respectable 174 for 7.
Michael Levitt’s 86 in Netherlands vs Nepal, Match-5, Scotland T20 Tri-Series 2025
In response, Nepal had a good start, scoring 60 runs within the power play with one wicket loss. The chase was anchored by opener Kushal Bhurtel, who scored a calm 65 off 46 balls, making partnerships with Bhim Sharki (27 off 16) and Aarif Sheikh (39* off 23). Even after some slips in the mid-overs, Nepal never lost its head in the run.
With the penultimate over scored with Sheikh being retired hurt, Nepal needed seven runs to win. Lokesh Bam took Nepal to 180 for 4 with two balls to spare by sealing the deal in style by scoring two sixes in the 19th over.
The victory puts Nepal in the first position of the points table with four points. The Netherlands are on four points as well but with a lower net run rate and are in second place.