Malaysian Selangor Turf Club hosted the ACC U-16 East Zone Cup cricket tournament where defending champions Nepal achieved a record-breaking 370-run win against Indonesia to secure their semifinal berth. In the third Group ‘A’ match, Nepal batted first and posted 420 runs for the loss of 5 wickets in 50 overs.
Indonesia’s response was halted at just 50 runs in 24.3 overs, handing Nepal a massive victory. Opener Prasiddha Joshi scored a brilliant 132 runs off 114 balls with 15 fours and one six. Other key contributors included Raunak Srivastava (88), Parimarjan Yadav (71), Joy Thapa (57), and Sugam Budhathoki, who remained unbeaten on 39.
Prasiddha and Parimarjan added 130 runs for the first wicket, and Raunak shared a 148-run partnership for the third wicket. Captain Bipin Prasad Sharma bowled excellently, taking 6 wickets for 12 runs in 7.3 overs including two maidens. Sugam Budhathoki and Subham Khanal took one wicket each, and two Indonesian players were run out.
Group Standings and Upcoming Matches
Nepal topped Group ‘A’ with 6 points from three consecutive wins and advanced to the semifinals. Earlier, Nepal defeated Singapore by 5 wickets and Japan by 9 wickets. Indonesia was eliminated from the tournament. Nepal will face Bhutan in their final group match on Tuesday.
From Group ‘B’, Hong Kong has already qualified for the semifinals, while the Malaysia vs. Thailand match will determine the other semifinalist. Nepal’s semifinal opponent will be the second-placed team from Group ‘B’. This record victory underscores the outstanding performance of Nepal’s young team and strengthens their chances of defending the title.
