Kathmandu: Nepal retained their ODI status after an entertaining 10-run win over hosts Oman in their final match of the ICC World Cup League 2 at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground on Monday.

Opener Dev Khanal, Dipendra Singh Airee and Rohit Paudel all slammed half-centuries as Nepal posted 280 all out in 50 overs after opting to bat first. Nepal then restricted the hosts to 270-7 despite a spirited fightback from Oman.

The result assured Nepal of a sixth-place finish, the minimum requirement for retaining ODI status for the next four years. Nepal finished the current League 2 cycle with 30 points from 36 matches, one point ahead of seventh-placed Canada, who finished with 29 points.

Only the top six teams at the end of the four-year League 2 cycle retain ODI status. Oman are fourth in the standings with 33 points from 32 matches.

Former captain Rohit struck 80 off 81 balls, Dipendra scored 69 off 62 balls, while Dev, who replaced Arjun Kumal in the playing XI, made 57 off 65.

Nepal’s innings was largely built around a record fourth-wicket partnership of 139 runs between Dipendra and Rohit. The duo eclipsed the previous record of an unbeaten 96-run partnership between Bhim Sharki and Gulsan Jha against the UAE in Kirtipur on May 1, 2023.

Rohit struck two boundaries and six sixes to register his 14th ODI half-century. Jay Odedra had him caught by Hassnain Shah in the penultimate over, with Rohit becoming Nepal’s seventh wicket to fall.

Dipendra smashed three boundaries and four sixes to score his 11th ODI half-century. He was caught by wicketkeeper Vinayak Shukla off Faisal Shah in the 46th over.

Dev struck four boundaries and a six to register his third ODI half-century. He also shared a 64-run partnership for the second wicket with Ishan Pandey, who scored 29 off 60 balls before being run out.

Dev was stumped by wicketkeeper Vinayak Shukla to become Nepal’s third batter to be dismissed.

Faisal Shah was the pick of Oman’s bowlers, claiming 5-57 in his eight-over spell. Jay Odedra claimed 3-44 in his 10 overs.

In reply, Oman got off to a flying start, reaching 190-2. Opener Jatinder Singh and number three batter Hammad Mirza both fell short of centuries.

Jatinder (89 off 114 balls) and Hammad (87 off 97 balls) shared a 158-run stand for the second wicket. Jatinder hit seven boundaries and a six before spinner Lalit Rajbanshi had him caught by Dipendra in the 38th over.

Hammad also departed soon after, having hit five boundaries and three sixes. Captain Sandeep Lamichhane made him caught by wicketkeeper Aasif Sheikh in the 41st over.

The next three batters — Mujibur Ali (8), captain Vinayak Shukla (13) and Sanju Sajeev (5) — failed to settle and were dismissed in quick succession.

However, lower-middle-order batter Hassnain Shah gave Nepal a late scare with an aggressive unbeaten knock of 40 off 23 balls, including three boundaries and two sixes. He could not find enough support at the other end, as Oman finished 10 runs short of Nepal’s total.

Spinners duo Lalit and Dipendra picked two wickets each while Sandeep and Nandan Yadav claimed a scalp each. Lalit conceded 53 runs in his eight-over and Dipendra 60 runs in his 10-overs. Sandeep gave away 37 runs in his 10-over quota.