Nepal delivered a disciplined and tactical bowling performance to restrict table-toppers Netherlands to 225 runs in their opening match of the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 tri-series at Forthill, Dundee on Wednesday.

Winning the toss and opting to bat first, the Dutch side were bowled out in 49.1 overs. Sompal Kami, Karan KC, Sandeep Lamichhane and Lalit Rajbanshi all contributed key wickets to ensure the Netherlands never got away.

Nepal struck early when Sompal, bowling his first ball of the match, removed opener Michael Levitt for just 1. Karan followed up in the fifth over, clean bowling Max O’Dowd for 4, as the Dutch lost both openers cheaply and never fully recovered.

Skipper Scott Edwards was the standout with the bat, anchoring the innings with 46 off 71 balls, including four boundaries. He shared a 72-run stand with Vikramjit Singh for the third wicket before Singh was dismissed for 38 by Lamichhane in the leg-spinner’s first over.

Left-arm spinner Lalit Rajbanshi, replacing medium pacer Rijan Dhakal, struck immediately as well—having Edwards caught by Nepal captain Rohit Paudel in the 27th over. Rajbanshi later dismissed Jack Leeson Croeschet, who contributed 27 runs off 34 balls.

Rajbanshi bowled a tidy seven-over spell, conceding just 30 runs and claiming two wickets—vastly improving on Rijan’s previous outing where he leaked 78 runs against Scotland.

Lamichhane, in his full quota of 10 overs, gave away 48 runs and picked up two wickets, including that of Teja Nidamanuru, who struggled to 13 from 29 balls.

The Dutch found brief resistance through Noah Croes, who top-scored with 48 off 55 balls, including five boundaries, but he too fell to Sompal, who ended with figures of 3 for 48 in 9.1 overs. Karan KC was equally effective, bowling 10 overs for 35 runs and removing two key batters.

Nepal, currently ranked seventh with 8 points from 13 matches, will be chasing 226 for a second straight win in the tri-series. Earlier this week, they stunned hosts Scotland with a record chase of 297 runs, pulled off on the final ball, thanks to Karan KC’s unbeaten 65.

For Netherlands, this was their first match of the series. They sit second in the League 2 table with 26 points from 20 matches, trailing leaders USA by just two points. Only the top four teams will qualify for the ICC World Cup Qualifier.