Nepal have won the Nepal-UAE bilateral One-Day International Series defeating the visitors by six wickets in a decider on Friday. It is the first bilateral ODI series win for Nepal on the home ground.

Nepal went past the 177-run target set by the United Arab Emirates in 40.1 overs losing four wickets with half-centuries by Aasif Sheikh and Gyanendra Malla

Opener Aasif Sheikh led Nepal to the victory scoring not out 88 runs off 119 balls, hitting twelve fours. Gyanendra Malla contributed 64 runs off 73 balls, smashing seven fours and three sixes.

Hazrat Bilal and Aayan Afzal Khan of the UAE took a wicket apiece.

Earlier, Nepal restricted the visitors to a lowly total with an impressive performance by Nepali bowlers. Opener Muhammed Wasim was caught behind by Aasif Sheikh off Gulsan Jha’s delivery in 1.2 overs for 11 runs.

Capitalising on the good start, Sompal Kami bowled Vriitya Aravind for a duck in the third over. Jha came back to bowl and bagged the wicket of UAE skipper Chundangapoyii Rizwan in the very first ball of the fourth over. Rizwan contributed four runs for his team.

Rohan Mustafa and Alishan Sharafu tried to stabilise the visitor’s innings but both of them were sent back in the span of two overs. Mustafa was caught by Kushal Bhurtel off Dipendra Singh Airee’s delivery in 23.2 overs after scoring 24 runs while Sharafu, who scored 33 runs off 69 deliveries, was bowled by Bhurtel in 25.4 overs.

Nepal were in a good position until the 32nd over when Zahoor Khan was run out for a duck and needed just a wicket to restrict the visitors to a low total.

However, UAE’s Aayan Afzal Khan and Hazrat Bilal stuck to the crease and created an 83-run partnership. Khan scored 54 runs off 63 deliveries while Bilal contributed 20 runs to the scoreboard. Both of them remained not out.

For Nepal, Jha, Airee and Bhurtel took two wickets each while Kami and Lalit Rajbanshi bagged one wicket each.