The competition between Nepal and Scotland in associate cricket has become very high recently. Most of the matches have gone from the last over to the last ball and ended by a narrow margin. There are also many who have analyzed that it has enhanced the reputation of associate cricket.

The match played against the home team in the World Cup Cricket League-2 series by Nepal, which is visiting Scotland, was at the height of intense competition. In the last ball contest in Dundee, Nepal managed to reverse the result in one match and Scotland in the other match. Nepal won the first match by 1 wicket in the last ball and lost by 2 runs in the second match. Some of the intense matches between Nepal and Scotland are as follows:

Nepal suffers from the last ball

Dundee, June 8, 2025

After captain Richie Berrington scored 102 runs, Scotland won the toss and opted to bat, losing 6 wickets in the scheduled 50 overs and scoring 323 runs. Nepal's weak fielding was equally responsible for Scotland reaching this score along with their good batting. Also, Nepal's bowling became very thin in the death overs. Scotland scored 123 runs in the last 10 overs losing only 1 wicket. Sompal Kami dropped a normal catch when Michael Lisk was on 14 runs. He hit 12 fours and 3 fours while Lisk made 96 runs off 62 balls.

Nepal had scored 317 runs in 49 overs with the half-centuries of Bhim Sarki, Dipendra Singh Airi and Sompal Kami. This is Nepal's highest score in ODIs. In the last over, Nepal needed 7 runs to win, Karan KC and Sandeep Lamichhane were at the crease. "Local boy" Safyan Sharif was bowling. He was very expensive with 35 runs in his first 4 overs. But because of understanding the wicket here, maybe Scotland bowled him the last over. Karan took 2 runs in the first ball of the last over but got out after hitting a big shot in the third ball. When Nepal needed 3 runs in the last ball, Sharif bowled Lalit Rajwanshi and gave Scotland a 2 run victory in a dramatic calculation. 

Karan's innings and incredible victory

Dundee, 2nd June 2025

Scotland batted first in the League 2 competition and scored 296 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in the scheduled 50 overs. After Charlie Tier scored 80 off 72 balls and Finley McCreath scored 55 off 67 balls, Scotland set a huge target for Nepal. 

After Karan KC scored an unbeaten 65 runs in 41 balls with 3 fours and 4 sixes, Nepal achieved the target in the last ball and succeeded in chasing the biggest victory target in ODIs. After Karan added 2-2 runs in the fourth and fifth balls of the last over, Nepal had to score 1 run in the last ball. In the last ball Rijn Dhakal was given a run out by the leg umpire at the strike end, but the chief umpire gave a wide to the ball that went to the leg side, but Nepal managed to win the match in an incredible way. 

Nepal's first 'clean sweep'

Kirtipur, February 21, 2023

Scotland had become the winner of League 2. In the last match of the series, George Muncie scored 60 off 50 balls but the team was bowled out for 212 runs in 46.1 overs. When the Nepali bowlers had completed their responsibilities, now it was the turn of the batting. 

But in the 32nd over, Nepal had already lost 8 wickets when they scored 138 runs. Rohit Paudel showed his mature role from here. After he scored an unbeaten 95 off 101 balls, Nepal completed the target in 44.1 overs and made a 'clean sweep' of the League 2 series for the first time. 

After hitting the winning boundary off Safyan Sharif, Rohit celebrated by roaring and showing off his muscles. Rohit has been considering this as the best innings of his career. Rohit shared an unbeaten partnership of 75 runs with Karan KC for the ninth wicket. Karan, who took 3 wickets in bowling, again played another useful innings in batting. Karan scored 31 runs off 37 balls with 2 fours and 1 six. 

Last over defeat

Ayr, July 29, 2015

Nepal played two matches against Scotland in the World Cricket League Championship after a disappointing performance in the World Twenty20 Qualifiers in Scotland and Northern Ireland. It was not so easy for Nepal to play in local Scottish conditions. In the match shortened in 36 overs due to rain, Scotland made 235 runs by losing 7 wickets for captain Preston Mommsen's 78 runs. After Con de Lange scored an unbeaten 55 off 41 balls with 4 fours and 2 sixes, Scotland became stronger. 

Despite losing Mahesh Chhetri for 21 and Gyanendra Malla for 18 runs, Nepal came close to victory after the incredible batting of Anil Mandal and captain Paras Khadka. Paras scored 70 runs off 55 balls with 4 fours and 2 sixes. He and Sharad Bheshavkar were dismissed in successive balls. Anil scored 100 runs. For that he hit 9 fours and 1 six while playing 93 balls. But after failing to score 25 runs in the last 2 overs, Nepal had to suffer a 3 run defeat. In the last over, Nepal had to score 17 runs for victory. Safyan Sharif dismissed Anil in the first ball of that over, after spending only 13 runs, Nepal lost 5 wickets and scored only 232 runs.