Brian Murgatroyd, ICC

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Nepal became the sixteenth and final side to qualify for next year’s ICC U19 Cricket World Cup (CWC) in Sri Lanka when they won the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) U19 Cup in Kathmandu on Saturday.

The hosts beat Malaysia by seven wickets in the final after overcoming Bahrain and Brunei in the group stages, Singapore in the quarter-finals and Kuwait in the semi-finals.

It means Nepal will join Ireland, Namibia, Scotland, Uganda and the USA as the Associate countries taking part in the tournament alongside the 10 ICC Full Members.

It will be Nepal’s fourth time at the ICC U19 CWC after appearances in 2000, 2002 and 2004.

In 2000, in Sri Lanka, washed out matches against South Africa and Pakistan and a victory over Kenya propelled them into the Super League stage of the tournament, where they were eliminated after losses against India, Sri Lanka and England.

Two years later, in New Zealand, they failed to reach the same stage only on net run-rate after a loss to England and wins over Pakistan and Papua New Guinea (PNG). That meant they took part in the Plate Championship, losing in the final to Zimbabwe after beating Namibia, Scotland, Canada and Bangladesh.

In Bangladesh in 2004 Nepal again missed out on a place in the Super League stages on net run-rate after losing to England but beating South Africa and Uganda. In the Plate Championship they beat PNG but lost to Scotland and Australia.