Nepal shocks West Indies by 90 runs and wins T20 series

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SHARJAH, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Nepal shocked the West Indies by a record 90 runs and won their Twenty20 series with a match to spare on Monday.

Nepal played the two-time world champion for the first time on Saturday and earned an historic win by 19 runs and its first victory over an ICC full member.

Monday's result was even more impressive.

Nepal made 173-6 with career-best 60s from Aasif Sheikh and Sundeep Jora, then West Indies was bowled out for 83 in 17.1 overs.

Medium-pacer Mohammad Aadil Alam took a career-best 4-24 in his ninth T20.

A second-string West Indies debuted a fifth player in the series, 19-year-old leg-spinner Zishan Motara, and plunged to a new low.

In July, the test team was all out for 27 against Australia in Kingston, the second lowest total in men's test history.

The 83 on Monday was the lowest total by a full member side against an associate team in T20s, five less than England made against the Netherlands in the 2014 T20 World Cup.

Nepal's 90-run win was the biggest by runs by an associate team against a full member in T20s.

“For us, it's just about understanding really fast that this is international cricket,” West Indies captain Akeal Hosein said. “If you try to benchmark yourself here and can't match the level, then you need to look in the mirror and ask yourself if you're really international material.”

Hosein's two wickets helped to reduce Nepal to 43-3, then Sheikh and Jora combined for 100 runs in 11 overs.

Opening batter Sheikh struck an unbeaten 68 off 47 balls and Jora hit 63 off 39 with five sixes.

Only three West Indies players got into double figures, led by Jason Holder's 21.

“We are very happy,” Nepal captain Rohit Paudel said. "It took a lot to win against a test-playing country.

“This was a very important series for us to showcase our cricket and talent to the world. The way we've been playing the last two or three years, lots of eyes are on us. The motivation is to complete a clean sweep.”

The third and last T20 is on Tuesday.

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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket