Summary

  • Nepal fall just short after failing to hit final ball for six - report

  • Airee (44), Paudel (39) & Bam (39*) star for Nepal

  • England rally late on to reach 184-7 - Jacks hitting 39* off 18

  • Bethell (55) and Brook (53) rescue England from 57-3

  • T20 World Cup, Group C

  • Seifert half-century helps NZ beat Afghanistan

Have your say on the Men's T20 World Cup

Live Reporting

by Timothy Abraham & Elizabeth Botcherby

  1. Steven Finn
    Former England fast bowler on BBC Test Match Special

    Kushal Bhurtel will be annoyed at how timid that was. He played with such controlled intent.

    It didn't spin as much as he thought it would do. A leading edge back to the bowler and the simplest of catches.

    Slim Shady has his man.

  2. Henry Moeran
    Commentator on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    Chipped in the air, straight back to the bowler.

    A little leading edge is enough to see the end of dangerous opener Bhurtel. Disconsolate fans all round.

    Will Jacks, like Liam Dawson, strikes in his first over. Easy as you like caught and bowled.

  3. wicket

    WICKET

    Bhurtel c & b Jacks 29 (Nep 42-2)

    Will Jacks - summoning the spirit of Romania at the 1998 football World Cup, perhaps? - has a bleached-blonde bonce and gets England's second wicket with his second ball of the World Cup.

    A tame dismissal as Kushal Bhurtel, who looked a million dollars square driving earlier, chips it back to Jacks and he gobbles up the catch.

  4. Steven Finn
    Former England fast bowler on BBC Test Match Special

    You can see already, Jofra Archer has learned from what he did wrong in that first over.

    You have to mix up your pace to guys who are standing and hitting through the line of the ball.

  5. Nep 40-1

    Jofra Archer with a change of ends and he's much more effective, holding pace off quite a few deliveries, as Nepal skipper Rohit Paudel eats up four dot balls before he is able to get of the mark with a clip of his toes.

  6. Matthew Henry
    BBC Sport journalist in Mumbai

    DawsonGetty Images

    Liam Dawson is a World Cup winner, having been an unused member of England's 2019 squad, but this is his first World Cup match and that his first World Cup wicket.

  7. Nep 37-1

    Rohit Paudel survives the final ball of Liam Dawson's over.

  8. Steven Finn
    Former England fast bowler on BBC Test Match Special

    Good captaincy by Harry Brook to change the pace. The temptation would've been to blow these batters away with Jofra Archer but he turned to the canny spin of Liam Dawson, who fully deserves his place after some stellar domestic performances in the last few years.

    Dawson's versatility as a bowler, to bowl at any phase of the game, stands him in good stead. He takes the mantle of bowling in the powerplay and gets the breakthrough. He's going to play a crucial role for England.

  9. Prakash Wakankar
    BBC Test Match Special commentator

    Very similar to the Phil Salt dismissal. Liam Dawson strikes in his first over.

  10. wicket

    WICKET

    Aasif c Wood b Dawson 7 (Nep 37-1)

    Liam Dawson punches the air in celebration!

    Aasif Sheikh attempts to whip Liam Dawson round the corner and ends up top edging it into the hands of Luke Wood.

    England have their breakthrough.

  11. Nep 33-0

    Harry Brook realises he needs to turn to spin.

    Liam Dawson's first ball is slog swept skywards behind square by Kushal Bhurtel but it drops safe. Two more to the score.

  12. Steven Finn
    Former England fast bowler on BBC Test Match Special

    England need to change something - maybe their pace. It's been quick and quicker so maybe they need to take the pace off the ball now.

  13. Eng 31-0

    England's quicks taking some tap here.

    Aasif Sheikh swings across the line and hits Luke Wood towards the mid-wicket boundary for four.

    Aasif did not quite time than but there's enough on it to get over the line.

  14. Nep 26-0

    Kushal Bhurtel now flicks Luke Wood of his legs and picks up another boundary. A couple of balls later and Bhurtel rocks back heaves Wood into the stands for six.

  15. Prakash Wakankar
    BBC Test Match Special commentator

    Cheering fansGetty Images

    Those three strokes from Kushal Bhurtel are as good as anything we have seen today.

  16. How's stat?!

    Kieran Parmley
    CricViz analyst

    Jofra Archer has been upping his speed in T20s recently - since the start of 2025, 66% of his deliveries are over 87 mph, up from 44% in 2023 and 57% in 2024.

  17. Nep 16-0

    BhurtelGetty Images

    Jofra Archer is slightly off line to start with and Kushal Bhurtel cashes in with three fours off the over.

    They are all square driven with power, timing and finesse. Beautifully played.

    The Nepalese fans are loving this. 14 runs off the over and their chase is up and running.

  18. Steven Finn
    Former England fast bowler on BBC Test Match Special

    I really like Luke Wood's inclusion.

    It would have been safe and easy to pack the batting and have Jamie Overton in there as an all-rounder but Luke Wood is a specialist opening bowler.

  19. Nep 2-0

    Very solid start from Luke Wood who is absolutely on the money, bowling with pace and on a threatening fourth of fifth stump line.

    Kushal Bhurtel picks up a single of his third ball with dab through backward square.

    Later in the over, Wood swings one into the pads of Aasif Sheikh but it is sliding down leg. Sheikh then pinches the strike with a nudge into the leg side.

  20. Steven Finn
    Former England fast bowler on BBC Test Match Special

    Nepal are no strangers to beating Full Member nations and they've run people close in World Cups before but they need a good start.

    Because of this pitch and the spinners that England possess through the middle over, Nepal need a really good start here.

    They'll be in the face of Luke Wood. A really potent bowler with the new ball. Left-arm, skiddy and swinging pace, to two right-handers who'll be concerned about their pads.