Motie’s heroics lead West Indies ‘A’ to series-levelling victory over Nepal
SUMMARY: West Indies ‘A’ 160-7 from 20 overs (Andre Fletcher 43, Gudakesh Motie 33*, Roston Chase 23; Sagar Dhakal 2-19, Kushal Bhurtel 2-22) beat Nepal 150-9 from 20 overs (Rohit Paudel 71*, Gulsan Jha 26, Lokesh Bam 17; Gudakesh Motie 2-22, Obed McCoy 2-24) by ten runs
In a thrilling encounter at Kirtipur, Gudakesh Motie emerged as the standout performer for West Indies A, propelling his team to a crucial victory over Nepal in the second T20 International to level the five-match series at 1-1.
Motie’s exceptional all-round display, featuring an unbeaten 33 off just eight balls and impactful bowling, played a pivotal role in securing the win.
Batting first, West Indies A faced early setbacks but rallied behind Andre Fletcher’s resilient 43 and Captain Roston Chase’s 23. However, wickets fell at regular intervals, leaving the team in a precarious position at 115 for 7.
When Fletcher departed, the onus fell on Motie to provide a late surge. With only 13 balls remaining, Motie unleashed a blitz, smashing two fours and four sixes to power his team to a competitive total of 160 for 7.
Matthew Forde contributed with an unbeaten 11 as Sagar Dhakal and Kushal Bhurtel each picked up crucial wickets for Nepal.
In response, Nepal’s captain Rohit Paudel led the charge with a magnificent 71 off 48 balls, keeping his team in contention.
However, Nepal’s batting struggled against the West Indies A bowling attack, with only Gulsan Jha offering notable support with 26 runs.
Motie continued to make an impact with the ball, claiming 2 crucial wickets for 244 runs alongside Obed McCoy, who showed signs of returning to form with his 2 for 24.
Despite Paudel’s heroics, Nepal fell short in their chase, ultimately conceding victory to West Indies A by ten runs.
Motie’s exceptional performance earned him the Player of the Match award.
The third match in the series is set for Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (SportsMax)
