Nepal’s lack of experience in the longer format of the game was exposed in the second day of the first-class match at TU ground in Kirtipur on Thursday. The hosts, who in recent years have been accustomed to Twenty20 cricket and are playing a three-day match after a 14-year hiatus, were bundled out for 153 in 44.4 overs in their first innings by the visitors Marylebone Cricket Club.

“We are not used to the three-day format. All our batsmen played shots like they would in the shorter format, the Twenty20s and 50-over matches. In the longer format, we need to be patient and that was certainly lacking,” said skipper Gyanendra Malla.

Nepal failed to manage 173 runs required to avoid follow-on after MCC, continuing their first innings in the morning session with Yasir Arafat (65*) and Alex Thompson (30) from 311-6. They lost the remaining four wickets adding 53 runs to finish their first essay at 364. Karan KC and Sandeep Lamichhane picked three wickets apiece for Nepal while Sompal Kami and Sharad Vesawkar had two each to their name.

It was a day of poor batting performance from the hosts as Malla, playing his maiden first-class match, even failed to trouble the scorer. He departed for a duck in the very first over bowled by Arafat. The hosts teetered as Vesawkar became the second wicket to fall in the fifth over when the scorecard read just 7.

Raju Rijal (8), Dipendra Singh Airee (1) and Aarif Sheikh (10) failed to provide any stability for Nepal innings as the hosts half the side for just 33 runs in 19.2 overs.

Binod Bhandari, who had scored a half-century in the 50-over match against the MCC, and all-rounder Sompal Kami shared a 75-run partnership which saved Nepal’s blushes. However, Bhandari made the long walk back to the pavilion at his individual score of 36 runs in the 35th over.

Pawan Sarraf (2) and KC (2) could not last long at the crease as Nepal were struggling at 109-8. Kami’s departure after scoring 26 runs then witnessed some hard-hitting from Lamichhane.

The spin star clubbed four sixes, three in succession, and hit the fence twice as he remained unbeaten while top-scoring for Nepal with 39 runs from 21 balls. He looked clearly frustrated at the non-striker’s end when Lalit Rajbanshi became the last wicket to fall for Nepal in the 44th over. The pair had added 42 runs for Nepal’s 10th wicket. Arafat and Thompson were impressive for the MCC as they picked three wickets each.

“Their bowlers are very experienced, they were consistent in their plans which made us struggle. It actually shows that there is a lot to be learned by us in the longer format of the game,” said Malla. “It was not a good day for us.”

Despite having the option, MCC chose not to impose the follow-on and finished the second day at 91-2 in 21 overs. The ‘home of cricket’ club lead Nepal by 302 runs as Tom Westley remained unbeaten at 17 when the umpires called it a day.

In-form batsman Will Rhodes, who has scored three successive half-centuries in the MCC’s Nepal Legacy Tour so far, was caught by KC off Sarraf in the 11th over while Rajbanshi trapped Billy Godleman leg-before-wicket in the 17th over.

Nepal have never faced defeat in a first-class match in their previous four appearances with a record of two wins and two draws.