Qatar won their first game of the ACC Twenty20 Cup when they beat Nepal in what was a spectacular game of Twenty20 cricket. Right up to the 18 th over, Nepal had the win within sight but let it all slip in just one over handing Qatar the win.

On a fast-moving track and a very slow and damp outfield, Nepal were initially halted in their boundary chase after Qatar put them in to bat. But this soon changed when they found the aerial route was much quicker and more efficient. With the ball coming onto the bat quickly Mahaboob Alam (45) sent the bulk of his first few boundaries over the fielders' heads. This may have worked for Alam but when Paresh Lohani (8) impersonated his partner, he got caught.

After yesterdays scare against Malaysia, Nepal's main concern was not to lose early wickets. Their fear became a reality when Sharad Vesawkar (0) lasted just one minute before he played away from his body and had his stumps rattled by Kamran Khan (2-27) leaving the score at 40-2 after 6 overs.

Alam really pushed his luck with his theory of hitting over the fielders. A skier in the 7th over and he was fortunate not to have been caught. The ball literally popping out of Suresh Janaka's hands. An over later, and Alam was at it again; this time the ball landing at the feet of the running fielder. Alam had been carrying the Nepalese innings but in the 12 th over, a slight misjudge in the pace of the delivery saw him lose his wicket to Ali Rushart (2-21).

Dipendra Chaudhary (49*) would eventually carry the Nepalese batting over the finish line later on as he stood at the crease and had to watch the rest of his teammates come in and depart almost immediately. Both Chaudhary and Alam made 42 runs together but after Alam departed, none of the batsmen stood long enough with Chaudhary to forge a strong enough partnership. Nepal played out their 20 overs and reached a total of 128.

Nepal's early breakthrough came in the form of Tamoor Sajjad (1). On the sixth delivery of the Qatar innings, Sajjad was completely beaten and had his leg stump clipped by Mahboob Alam (2-14). An exact reply of the first wicket took place just an over later and this time the victim was Rocky Cutinha (3). Qatar were obviously struggling against the Nepali attack.  

Qatar Captain Omer Taj was literally strolling down the wicket in order to play the bowlers and he'd have been dismissed in the 5th over had Paras Khadka held on to what was, a difficult catch. Khadka twisted and turned adjusting himself whilst keeping his eyes on the ball but it wasn't enough and as he took it awkwardly, the ball rolled out of his hands.

At the halfway stage, Qatar looked to be in control of the game even though they had lost 2 wickets. The introduction of the spinners did the trick in breaking up a 38-run partnership between Omer Taj (25) and Muhammad Jahangir (12). Diving forward Rahul Vishwokarma took a superb catch to dismiss Jahangir. It all suddenly swung in Nepal's favour over the next two overs as Qatar lost two quick wickets with the score at 63, and now with 5 wickets down.

Qatar fell further away in the 15th over when two speedy stumpings by Mahesh Chettri had the team struggling at 78-7. Qatar's saving grace came in the form of Ali Rushart (49*) and Irfan Hussain (12*) as they put on a match-winning, 56-run, 23-ball partnership.

 With 23 runs to win from the last 2 overs, Rushart turned the entire game on its head when he went berserk, clobbering 22 runs off Paras Khadka's, 19 th over. Hussain finished the game in style with a six on the third last ball of the innings.

For obvious, match-winning reasons, both with the bat and all, Ali Rushart picked up his first Man of the Match award.