Harsh Thaker and Nicholas Kirton put on 60 for the fourth wicket early on and at 174/3 from 32.5 overs, chasing down 51 runs from 103 balls with seven wickets to spare should've been easy.
Instead, Thaker's last-ball wicket in the 33rd over sparked an ugly collapse that saw Canada lose their final seven wickets for just 43 runs. Malla, dismissed by Taker, returned the favour with a left-arm orthodox when Taker back-footed a good length delivery that stayed low to knock his off stump.
The Canadians' batsmen had a tough time deciding when they should come forward and when they should stay back on a pitch that became increasingly low and turning. Credit must go to Nepal captain Paudel. He made the most of the conditions and led from the front with his team's backs against the wall.
In the end, it was a bitter disappointment to lose by seven runs with 13 balls to spare. They had played better cricket for most of the match.
Bin Zafar said after the match that the run-rate was not an issue, so it was just a matter of staying there and rotating the strike. Nepal's bowlers bowled in the right areas, they pressured us with dot balls and that's where we lost.