The lost glory in U-19 cricket
When the nation was basking in the
success of senior cricket team’s glory, Nepal’s U-19 cricket team returned home
from Malaysia without trophy.
Nepali colts were participating in
the ACC U-19 Elite Cup in Malaysia, when their seniors booked the place in the
qualifiers of World Cup with ICC World Cricket League Division 3 title.
The four time champions Nepal went
to Malaysia with an aspiration to bring back the lost glory but their hard work
was not enough as they finished fourth in the tournament. Their dream to book
the place in U-19 world cup 2014 also shattered. It was the third time Nepal has failed to
qualify to the ICC U-19 World Cup in the last nine editions.
Nepal
had failed to qualify for the U-19 World Cup in the 1998 and 2010. Nepal had
played the ICC U-19 World Cup in 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2012.
Nepal’s domination in the U-19 age
group tournament among the Asian associate nations was over when they lost to
Afghanistan in the finals of 2009 since then Nepal could not come back to their
title winning form. Having won the first
four editions on the trot, Nepal’s last triumph came in 2007.
Nepal had the strong start and was
unbeaten in the group stage at the latest edition. But poor fielding came to
fore as the Group B winner Nepal lost to their opponent Group A runners up UAE
in the semifinals. Frustrated with the semifinal defeat, Nepali youth team
could not repeat their group stage performance against host Malaysia in the
third place playoff match to satisfy at the fourth place.
Though Nepal finished the journey
in a disappointing note, bowler Abinash Karn became the successful bowler of
the tournament to bring some cheer in u-19 team.
The left handed medium pacer Karn
was the pick of the player in every victory of Nepal in the group stage. Karn
not only adjudged with the best bowler of the tournament, but also became the
top wicket-takers among Nepali player in single tournament.
He finished the tournament with 24
wickets in his kitty from six matches with an economy of 4.21. His best bowling
figure was against Bahrain in group stage, where he claimed 8-wickets for 24
runs including a hat-trick. His bowling average in the event was 8.33.
Earlier, the record was in the name
of three players-Rahul Vishvakarma, Basant Regmi and Mehaboob Alam.
After he scalped his 22nd
wicket in the semifinal against UAE, he toppled his seniors to be most wicket
taker for Nepal.
Vishvakarma had picked 21 wickets
in U-19 ACC Elite Cup held in Thailand in 2011. He repeated the same in the
World U-19 Qualifiers held in Ireland, 2011.
Spinner Regmi is the only player
from National team to take 21 wickets in single tournament. He touched the 21-wicket
milestone in the ICC World Cricket League Division 4 held in Malaysia in 2012.
He had 5-wicket haul against USA in the group stage match and final where Nepal
finished with title.
In the Divison 5 held in Jersey in
2008, pacer Alam claimed 19 wickets that included the world record 10-wicket
haul against Mozambique.
Avinash Karn
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ACC U-19, Malaysia, 2013 May
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Match
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Overs
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Maiden
|
Runs
|
Best Bowling
|
Averege
|
Economy
|
Wickets
|
6
|
47.3
|
4
|
200
|
24/8
|
8.33
|
4.21
|
24
|
Rahul Vishvakarma
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ACC U-19, Thailand, 2011 February
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Match
|
Overs
|
Maiden
|
Runs
|
Best Bowling
|
Averege
|
Economy
|
Wickets
|
6
|
51.2
|
5
|
125
|
15/8
|
5.95
|
2.43
|
21
|
Rahul Vishvakarma
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ICC U-19 World Cricket Cup Qualifiers, 2011 July-August
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|||||||
Match
|
Overs
|
Maiden
|
Runs
|
Best Bowling
|
Averege
|
Economy
|
Wickets
|
9
|
80.4
|
12
|
282
|
23/4
|
13.42
|
3.49
|
21
|
Basant Regmi
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World Cricket League Division 4, Malysia, 2012 September
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|||||||
Match
|
Overs
|
Maiden
|
Runs
|
Best Bowling
|
Averege
|
Economy
|
Wickets
|
6
|
49.5
|
9
|
140
|
20/5
|
6.66
|
2.80
|
21
|
Mehaboob Alam
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World Cricket League Division 5, Jersey, 2008, May
|
|||||||
Match
|
Overs
|
Maiden
|
Runs
|
Best Bowling
|
Averege
|
Economy
|
Wickets
|
8
|
49.5
|
9
|
93
|
10/12
|
4.89
|
1.86
|
19
|
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