Sitting totally in contrasting situations, hosts Nepal and Scotland will play their second match of the Triangular Series of the ICC World Cup League 2 at the TU cricket ground in Kirtipur on Friday.

While Nepal are struggling to save their One-Day International (ODI) status, Scotland have already been crowned the champions of the League 2 after they registered a convincing 10-wicket victory over Namibia in their first match on Wednesday.

Nepal and Scotland have played four matches in League 2 in the past, out of which Nepal have lost three and won one, all away from home.

The top finish in the League 2 table means that Scotland are assured of a direct place in the ICC World Cup Qualifiers to take place in June and July. The teams finishing in the top three positions among seven will be guaranteed direct berths for the World Cup Qualifiers.

Though the International Cricket Council (ICC) has not made a clear announcement about the ODI status of the seven League 2 teams due to end in July, the top five teams of League 2 are believed to have retained their previous status. The bottom four will have to go through the playoffs for the Qualifiers.

Nepal are sixth in the League 2 standings with 20 points from 25 matches, while Scotland are on top with 48 points from 33 games. Each team will play 36 matches in the completion of the League 2 cycle, which means the ongoing series in Nepal will be the last one for Scotland.

Nepal need to win at least eight matches among the remaining 11 games to secure a fifth place finish in League 2. They could still secure a top three position finish, should they win all 11 matches and hope for favourable outcomes for other teams.

Similar to Scotland, Nepal also pulled off a two-wicket victory over Namibia in the opening match of the Series on Tuesday. But while Nepal will be under pressure to get winning results over Scotland to keep afloat their World Cup Qualifiers and ODI dreams, the visiting side will be pressure free. Even a defeat won’t make any difference to Scotland, crowned as the champions with three matches in hand.

Though Nepal will have their home condition and the home crowd advantage, the toss is also expected to play a key role in the game. The last two games saw sides winning the toss and choosing to bowl first and winning both the matches.

As the kickoff is scheduled for an early 9:00 am start, the morning wicket conditions are likely to be helpful to the bowlers in the early stages. The moisture in the pitch will contribute to making the wicket slow.

Scotland, however, would not take the match lightly against the home team. “It’s really nice to be in a country where everybody loves the game (cricket). We are expecting a huge crowd and they are going to support Nepal. We are hoping to play a good brand of cricket and want to silence them (home supporters),” Scotland’s head coach Shane Burger said on Monday.

After beating Scotland in their opening match, Nepal captain Rohit Paudel had said the victory would be vital in boosting the morale of the team. “We need to carry the momentum forward to retain our ODI status,” Paudel added.