Aasif Sheikh, Anil Sah and Kushal Malla all starred with the bat to back impressive bowling spells from Sagar Dhakal and Sompal Kami as Nepal defeated West Indies A by six wickets in the fifth T20 to restore some pride at the TU Cricket Ground in Kirtipur on Saturday.

Despite the defeat, West Indies A clinched the five-match series 3-2.

Nepal’s successful chase of 173-run target was built on a solid 96-run second-wicket partnership between opener Aasif Sheikh and Anil Sah—both of whom were finally able to end their dismal run and scored their first fifties of the series.

Nepal lost opener Kushal Bhurtel (13) cheaply, again, to Obed McCoy (3-36) but Sheikh and Sah held firm and batted with patience to bring Nepal back in the game.

Sheikh scored 51 runs in his 35-ball knock that included two fours and five sixes. He departed in the 14th over when McCoy had him caught by Matthew Forde.

Sah then completed his half-century off 41 balls with a six off Hayden Walsh in the 15.1 overs and fell to McCoy in the 17th over.

Malla was the top entertainer of the day.

Nepal still needed 22 runs from the last 12 balls but Malla batted with full steam and completed the chase with seven balls to spare.

Malla smashed a six and four fours off McCoy, and also earned a four from leg bye in the 19th over to complete a dramatic victory for Nepal. Malla was unbeaten on 37 in his 18-ball knock.

Earlier, the tourists opted to bat first and posted 172 from their 20 overs, losing seven wickets.

West Indies A breathed fire early adding 21 runs from the first nine balls but spinner Dhakal quickly hit back getting the breakthrough wicket of opener Kadeem Alleyene (11) with his fourth delivery in the second over.

Mark Deyal and Johnson Charles, who was the biggest headache for Nepal in the last two matches (an unbeaten century and a half-century), tried to build the innings slowly against a tight Nepal bowling.

But Dhakal turned out to be the destroyer-in-chief as he returned with the ball in the eighth over and dismissed Charles for 24 in the 7.1 overs with his only fifth delivery and Deyal for 11 two balls later to put Nepal firmly in control.

Roston Chase rebuilt the innings adding 33 runs facing 23 deliveries but Abinash Bohara checked the run flow dispatching the West Indies A captain in the 14th over.

Forde and Alick Athanaze briefly threatened adding 31 runs from the 15th and 16th over.

But, Kami ended their stand dismissing Forde (12-ball 23) in the 17th over and removed Fabian Allen and Gudakesh Motie with his brilliant bowling display in the penultimate over.

Athanze, who was not out on 42, and Walsh (seven not out) then took the West Indies A to a fighting total.

Dhakal returned a match figures of 3-17 in his magical two-over spell and was adjudged player of the match.

Kami took 3-16.

Rohit Paudel, who scored 265 runs from his three innings that featured a century and two half-centuries, was declared player of the series.

Nepal will now participate in a high performance camp in the West Indies and the United States before participating in the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to take place in the West Indies and the United States next month. Nepal will open their World Cup with a match against the Netherlands on June 4.