AL AMERAT — Nepal came close enough to keep the chase alive, but not close enough to finish it.

A fighting 87 from Arjun Kumal gave Nepal hope against Canada in the 138th match of the ICC Cricket World Cup League Two, but a late collapse left Nepal 24 runs short at Al Amerat Cricket Ground. Canada made 256 all out in 50 overs before bowling Nepal out for 232 in 46 overs.

Samra century sets up Canada

Canada won the toss and chose to bat, and Yuvraj Samra became the central figure of their innings.

Samra scored 105 from 117 balls, striking 11 fours and four sixes. He shared a 72-run opening partnership with Aaron Johnson, who contributed 36 from 53 deliveries.

Nepal managed to slow Canada through the middle overs, but Samra continued to hold the innings together.

His most important partnership came alongside Harsh Thaker. The pair added 88 runs for the third wicket, taking Canada from 105 for two to 193 for three. Thaker made 34 from 57 balls before Lalit Rajbanshi removed him.

Samra eventually fell for 105 with Canada on 219 for four, but captain Hamza Tariq added a useful 30 from 26 balls to keep the scoreboard moving.

Nepal fought back strongly at the end, taking wickets regularly and preventing Canada from producing a bigger finish. Canada were eventually bowled out for 256 from the final delivery of the 50th over.

Lalit leads Nepal’s bowling effort

Lalit Rajbanshi was Nepal’s most successful bowler, finishing with 4 for 39 from 10 overs, including two maidens.

Captain Sandeep Lamichhane claimed 3 for 49, while Dipendra Singh Airee took 2 for 49. Rohit Paudel also contributed with the ball, returning one wicket for 43 runs from nine overs.

The late wickets ensured Nepal were chasing 257 rather than a total closer to 280, leaving the batting unit with a realistic opportunity.

Arjun keeps Nepal in the hunt

Nepal lost Aasif Sheikh for 20 with the score on 37, but Arjun Kumal refused to let the chase drift away.

He first rebuilt alongside Ishan Pandey, who made 21, before continuing through partnerships with Rohit Paudel and Basir Ahamad.

Rohit scored 18 and Basir six, but Nepal continued to lose wickets around Arjun. Dipendra Singh Airee then provided some momentum with 27 from 32 balls, helping Nepal move to 175 for five.

Arjun remained the key.

The opener showed patience through the first half of his innings and kept Nepal within reach of the required rate. He reached 87 from 112 deliveries, but his dismissal at 194 for six after 40.6 overs changed the direction of the chase.

Nepal still needed 63 runs from the final nine overs.

Late push falls short

Gulshan Jha tried to keep the contest alive, scoring 21 from 19 balls, including a six, while Karan KC provided a late push from the other end.

Gulshan’s run-out at 216 for seven left Nepal with too much to do.

Karan remained unbeaten on 17 from 14 balls, but Nepal lost their final three wickets for just one run after reaching 231 for seven. Nandan Yadav was dismissed for a duck, Sandeep Lamichhane was run out for one, and Lalit Rajbanshi fell without scoring.

Nepal were all out for 232 in exactly 46 overs.

Sukhjinder Singh was Canada’s most successful bowler with 3 for 38 from 10 overs. Kaleem Sana and Sheel Patel took two wickets each, while Zahid Shirzad claimed one.

For Nepal, Arjun’s 87 provided the foundation for a chase that remained alive deep into the innings. But once he departed, Canada found the wickets they needed and closed out a 24-run victory.

Brief scores: Canada 256 all out in 50 overs (Yuvraj Samra 105, Aaron Johnson 36, Harsh Thaker 34; Lalit Rajbanshi 4/39, Sandeep Lamichhane 3/49) beat Nepal 232 all out in 46 overs (Arjun Kumal 87, Dipendra Singh Airee 27; Sukhjinder Singh 3/38) by 24 runs.