England Survive Major Scare to Beat Nepal in T20 World Cup Thriller
England were pushed to the absolute limit in their T20 World Cup campaign opener, ultimately securing a tense four-run victory over a spirited Nepal side at a raucous Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The defending champions were given a monumental scare by their Associate opponents, requiring a composed final over from Sam Curran to escape with a win in a breathless contest that captivated the crowd.
Nepal's Valiant Chase Falls Just Short
With Nepal needing just 10 runs from the final six deliveries to secure what would have been a historic upset in the first ever meeting between these nations, Curran displayed remarkable nerve under pressure. The left-arm seamer nailed his lines and lengths perfectly, restricting the Nepali batsmen and ensuring England avoided following in the footsteps of their 2009 predecessors who suffered a shocking defeat to the Netherlands in their tournament opener.
The Nepali chase was turbocharged by Lokesh Bam's unbeaten 39, which included back-to-back sixes off Jofra Archer in an over that cost 22 precious runs. Bam's heroics, combined with earlier contributions from Kushal Bhurtel (29) and Dipendra Singh Airee (44), had thousands of Nepali fans inside the Mumbai ground cheering every boundary with deafening enthusiasm.
England's Batting Foundation Proves Crucial
England's eventual victory was built upon their tournament-high score of 184 for seven, which proved just enough on a challenging surface. The innings was underpinned by two excellent half-centuries from the middle order, with Jacob Bethell striking 55 from just 35 deliveries and Harry Brook contributing 53 from 32 balls.
Bethell's innings was particularly impressive as he negotiated 14 overs of spin bowling with confidence, hitting his first six boundaries off mystery spinner Sher Malla including two leg-side sixes from drag downs. The young batsman brought up his fifty in just 28 balls with a meaty slog sweep that sailed over the boundary rope.
Will Jacks provided crucial late impetus with an unbeaten 39 from just 18 deliveries, thumping three sixes in the final over to push England's total beyond 180. This late flourish proved decisive in the context of the match, though England's bowlers still faced a stern examination from Nepal's determined batting lineup.
Bowling Concerns Emerge Despite Victory
While England secured their 11th win in 12 completed T20 internationals, the performance revealed some areas of concern for the defending champions. Adil Rashid failed to take a wicket for the first time in 25 T20 matches and proved expensive, conceding 42 runs from his three overs as Nepal's middle order targeted the premier spinner.
Liam Dawson emerged as England's most effective bowler with figures of two for 21, claiming the important wickets of Aasif Sheikh and Nepal captain Rohit Paudel. However, the bowling unit collectively struggled to contain Nepal's aggressive approach, with Archer's solitary over costing 22 runs and Luke Wood leaking 14 from the penultimate over to set up the dramatic final over scenario.
The victory represents a positive start to England's Group C campaign as they seek to defend their T20 World Cup title, but the performance against Nepal has highlighted vulnerabilities that stronger opponents may look to exploit in the tournament's later stages.
