🏏ICC T20I WC 2024: Match 31: South Africa vs Nepal, S.V@5:00 AM IST🏏 - Page 3

Devesh Pradhan: "Good morning from Kathmandu, Nepal.... Its a weekend.... 4:30 AM...... Birds starting to chirp along with Nepal cricket team fans...." Well, Nepal fans have also been chirpy in the World Cup, or at least they were in the USA leg of the tournament, writes Cameron Ponsonby.

Jack Dyer: "How is Lamichhane allowed to play when he wasn't in Nepal's original squad? Is one of Nepal's other players 'injured'?" Nepal had only named 14 players in their original squad, a smart move that allowed them to add Lamichhane once the action moved out of the USA.

A misfiring top-order has not stopped South Africa from scraping together three diffident yet crucial wins to make it through to the Super 8s. Now, they’re up against Nepal who’re largely untested in this tournament so far. After a loss to the Netherlands in their opening game, their second game against Sri Lanka was washed out. While chances of them making it through to the Super 8s is slim, they may still have a say in matters. They’ll also be buoyed by the return of their ace leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane who’s linked up with the squad after they arrived at Kingston. Despite already making it through to the next stage, South Africa will not take this game lightly. They’ve got a lot of matters to iron out, particularly in their top order and they’ll be hoping that they’ll get a better wicket here after the tacky surfaces they had to play on in the USA.

Teams:

South Africa (Playing XI): Quinton de Kock(w), Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram(c), Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Ottneil Baartman, Tabraiz Shamsi

Nepal (Playing XI): Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh(w), Anil Sah, Rohit Paudel(c), Kushal Malla, Dipendra Singh Airee, Gulsan Jha, Sompal Kami, Karan KC, Sandeep Lamichhane, Abinash Bohara

Nepal win the toss and bowl first. Nepal skipper Rohit Paudel says they are expecting dew in the second innings, which is why they want to chase. About their long break between matches, Paudel says it was a good opportunity for them to train. South Africa captain Aiden Markram says he would have batted first as well, and he hopes the batters get some time in the middle.

"Gentle 12kph breeze across. 67m and 61m square boundaries, 76m down the ground. There is a bit of grass, it will assist both the seamers and spinners. 160 should be a good score, the South African quicks should really enjoy bowling on this" reckon Alan Wilkins and Dale Steyn

RSA 16/0 (3)

  CRR: 5.33

Nepal opt to bowl

 1 0 1 0 | 0 0 0 4 1 Wd 0 | 1 

Dipendra Singh to Reeza Hendricks, 1 run, length delivery on middle, worked away to deep mid-wicket

3.2

Dipendra Singh to Reeza Hendricks, FOUR, now that's the first convincing shot! Floated up full on off-stump from round the wicket, was right in the slot and Reeza Hendricks drilled it back over the bowler's head for four. 

Nepal's bowling is good. 

Dipendra Singh to de Kock, out Caught&Bowled!! He's chipped it straight back! So the struggle continues for de Kock. It was another arm ball, drifted into off-stump and de Kock just pushed at this, looked like it stopped on him a touch and it lobbed straight back to the bowler who took the simplest of return catches. de Kock c and b Dipendra Singh 10(11) [4s-1]

Dipendra Singh to de Kock, THATS OUT!! Caught&Bowled!! 

de Kock deceived us once again!!

END OF OVER 4

6 runs • 1 wicket

SA: 22/1

CRR: 5.50 

Aiden Markram

0 (2b)

Reeza Hendricks

6 (11b 1x4)

Dipendra Singh Airee

2-0-12-1

Sompal Kami

2-1-6-0

RSA 31/1 (5)

  CRR: 6.2

Nepal opt to bowl