Nepal’s cricket match against Japan at the 20th Asian Games was abandoned due to rain on Saturday.

Nepal, who were put in to bat at Kourogi Sports Park in Nagoya, scored 149 for four in a match reduced to 15 overs because of rain. But heavy rain returned immediately after Nepal completed their innings, forcing the match to be called off.

Nepal had defeated Afghanistan by five wickets on Friday. As the winners of Group A, Nepal will now face Sri Lanka in the quarterfinal for a place in the semifinals. The hosts, Japan, were eliminated at the group stage.

Afghanistan, who finished runners-up in Group B, will face India in another quarterfinal of the tournament being held in Japan.

Nepal posted a competitive total after half-centuries from Sandeep Jora and Lokesh Bam. Jora remained unbeaten on 57 off 32 balls, while Bam scored an unbeaten 52 off 22 balls. The pair put on 65 runs off 30 balls for the fifth wicket.

As openers Kushal Bhurtel and Kushal Malla struggled to find their rhythm, Jora played with confidence, hitting five fours and three sixes. He was on 49 when a Japanese fielder dropped him near the boundary, resulting in a four.

Bam completed his half-century off the final ball of the innings. It was his first half-century in Twenty20 internationals. He hit one four and six sixes, entertaining the nearly 2,000 predominantly Nepali spectators at the venue.

Bhurtel was dismissed for four off 12 balls. The other opener, Aasif Sheikh, scored 21 off 15 balls, hitting one four and one six. Malla made two off five balls, while Gulshan Jha was dismissed for two off six.

Japan’s Reo Sakurano Thomas, Ibrahim Takahashi, Jake Kusuda Narin and Declan Suzuki took one wicket each.