triseries

Tri-series between UAE, Pakistan and Afghanistan hastily penned as warm-up for Asia Cup and T20 World Cup.

The United Arab Emirates will host a Twenty20 tri-series including Afghanistan and Pakistan later this month, as part of the teams’ buildup for next year’s T20 World Cup.

Sharjah will host all seven games of the tri-series, starting August 29. Teams play against each other twice before the top two qualify for the final.

Pakistan and Afghanistan have already secured direct qualification for the T20 World Cup to be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka. UAE could also qualify, but it has to play ICC’s Asia-East Asia and Pacific qualifiers in Oman in October.

Afghanistan, which finished seventh in the last T20 World Cup, hasn’t played a T20 since a bilateral series against Zimbabwe late last year. Pakistan is currently playing a T20 series against the West Indies in the United States.

The tri-series will be followed by the Asia Cup, also scheduled to be held in the UAE, from September 9, when Afghanistan takes on Hong Kong in the opening game.

An historic T20 saw the Netherlands beat Nepal after an incredible three super overs in Glasgow.

It is the first time that any men’s professional match – either List A or T20 – has gone to a third super over with Michael Levitt’s six eventually giving the Netherlands victory.

Having posted 152-7, the Dutch looked set for victory with Nepal needing 16 from the 20th over.

However, tailender Nandan Yadav hit two boundaries, including one from the last ball, to level the scores.

Kushal Bhurtel proceeded to smash 18 from five balls to take Nepal to 19 in the first super over only for opener Max O’Dowd to hit the fifth and sixth balls of the Netherlands’ reply for a six and a four respectively to force a second.

This time the Netherlands batted first and posted 17 with a maximum apiece from O’Dowd and skipper Scott Edwards.

But again it was not enough and the drama continued as Dipendra Singh Airee hit Kyle Klein’s last ball over the ropes to take the match to an unprecedented third one-over shootout.

The Netherlands’ off-spinning all-rounder Zach Lion-Cachet ensured it would go no further, though, as he finished Nepal’s over early with two wickets in four balls, without conceding a run.

Just a single was required but Levitt finished a remarkable contest in style as he thumped the first ball of Sandeep Lamichhane’s over for six.

While the Netherlands have a day to enjoy their most memorable of wins, Nepal are back in action against Scotland on Tuesday as the T20 tri-series continues.