Netherlands vs Nepal, ICC WCQ 2023, Today Match Prediction

nl vs nep Match Prediction & Analysis

Nepal will be up against Netherlands in a do-or-die match at Takashinga Sports Club in Harare. Both teams have won their previous match at this venue against the USA.

Nepal bowled out the Americans for 207 runs while the Dutch restricted the same opposition to 211 for 8 in their last outing at this venue. However, the Netherlands were 4 down for 83 while chasing a 212-run target.

A fifty from Teja Nidamanuru and Scott Edwards put them back on track to eventually cross the line with 5 wickets in hand. This was the second-consecutive 50+ score from the skipper Scott Edwards.

Nepal have tinkered with their batting lineup in all the games so far. But there are only a few batters who are reliable and have delivered. Kushal Malla, Rohit Paudel and Aarif Sheikh will be key to Nepal’s success in the middle-order. Bowling first is likely to be the choice of the captain winning the toss. Both teams have a promising bowling attack that can put the opposition on the backfoot.

TEAMS PREVIEW

Netherlands Preview

The Netherlands registered their first win of the tournament as they defeated the USA by 5 wickets in the last match at the Takashinga Sports Club. All they need is one more win and they will be through to the Super Sixes. Their opposition has a strong bowling attack with great variety.

And skipper Scott Edwards will be hoping his team delivers a better performance with the bat. They couldn’t get off to a good start while chasing at this venue in the last match. Openers Vikramjit Singh and Max ODowd who delivered a 120-run partnership against Zimbabwe failed to start on a positive note against the USA.

This was similar to Nepal’s story where the openers scored 171 for the 1st wicket against Zimbabwe but were back in the pavilion early against the Americans in the very next game. Logan van Beek and Bas de Leede will lead the bowling attack for the Netherlands.

Left-arm orthodox Clayton Floyd found success in the last game and will be a key bowler to watch out for. Bas de Leede is also crucial with the bat in the middle order along with Wesley Barresi. While the batting hasn’t been consistent, the contributions from the lower order in the last game will give the skipper some confidence going into this match.

Netherlands Predicted Playing XI:

Vikramjit Singh, Max ODowd, Wesley Barresi, Scott Edwards (c & wk), Bas de Leede, Teja Nidamanuru, Shariz Ahmad, Logan van Beek, Clayton Floyd, Ryan Klein, Aryan Dutt

Netherlands Actual Playing XI:

Aryan Dutt, Ryan Klein, Teja Nidamanuru, Wesley Barresi, Clayton Floyd, Shariz Ahmad, Logan van Beek, Max O'Dowd, Vikramjit Singh, Scott Edwards, Bas de Leede

Nepal Preview

Nepal are just one loss away from being knocked out of the race to the World Cup 2023. They would still be able to compete in the playoffs for the 7th, 8th, or 9th places.

Nepal were right on top of the game with Windies 2 for 9 in the 5th Over. Sandeep Lamichhane delivered the breakthrough just when the partnership between Hope and King was taking off. 

And with the West Indies reeling at 3 for 55 with three of their top-order batters back in the hut, Nepal had themselves in a good position. However, it wasn’t until 28.3 Overs and 216 runs later that Nepal found another wicket. West Indies put a massive total on board and Nepal just had no chance.

This was the second time their bowlers were completely outplayed in this tournament. Karan KC, Gulshan Jha, and Rajbanshi are the key bowlers for Nepal along with Sandeep Lamichhane who have the ability to pick wickets. And without their success, Nepal’s chances of victory are slim.

In the batting department, Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheik, and Bhim Sharki play a pivotal role in the top 3. At least one of these 3 needs to play an impactful knock and that would allow Rohit Paudel, Aarif Sheikh, and Kushal Malla to build a bigger score on a well set platform.

Nepal Predicted Playing XI:

Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh (wk), Bhim Sharki, Rohit Paudel (c), Kushal Malla, Dipendra Singh Airee, Aarif Sheikh, Gulsan Jha, Karan KC, Sandeep Lamichhane, Lalit Rajbanshi

Nepal Actual Playing XI:

Kushal Malla, Lalit Rajbanshi, Dipendra Singh Airee, Karan KC, Aasif Sheikh, Kushal Bhurtel, Gulsan Jha, Rohit Kumar Paudel, Aarif Sheikh, Sandeep Lamichhane, Bhim Sharki

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS

Weather Conditions

It looked like a good batting pitch when West Indies played here. In the last two games, batting has been tough here and teams have struggled to chase even below 250 scores. It will be a clear, sunny day in Harare with a high of 23 degrees Celsius.

Venue Details

Takashinga Sports Club will be the venue for this match. Other than the West Indies vs USA match, the scores have been pretty low on this ground. A 250+ score can be a competitive 1st innings total considering the conditions, bowling strengths, and the batting form of both teams.

Toss: To Bowl

Of the 3 ODIs played at this venue in this tournament so far, teams bowling first have won two. Having already opted to bowl first in their last outing here, both teams will likely repeat that decision on winning the toss in this match.