Star spinner Sandeep Lamichhane shines as Nepal bowl USA out for joint-lowest ODI total

The United States of America (USA) cricket team registered the joint-lowest total in the One-Day International (ODI) history – 35 – on Wednesday in the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 match.

Zimbabwe also hold the record for the lowest ODI total. Tatenda Taibu-led Zimbabwean side was bowled out for 35 in Harare in 2004 in a match against Sri Lanka. Zimbabwe struggled against the likes of Chanminda Vaas, Dilhara Fernando and Farveez Mahararoof, who had picked up 10 wickets between them.

Out of the 10 USA wickets on Wednesday, six went to Nepal's star spinner Sandeep Lamichhane, who ended up registering his career-best figures of 6 for 16 in his six-over spell at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground. The other four scalps were picked by 24-year-old spinner Sushan Bhari.

The left-arm spinner, who was playing his fourth ODI, recorded the best economy of 1.67 as he picked up four wickets for only five runs in his three-over spell.

The American side batted only for 12 overs and scored 32 runs off the bat as Nepal gave three extras in the first innings. While they did not get off the mark in the first two overs, they lost their first blood in the second over when Lamichhane dismissed the opening batsman Ian Holland on the final delivery of the over.

The other opener Xavier Marshall was the only batsman from the USA camp to score in double digits. Bhari ended Marshall's knock of 22-ball 16 in the seventh over. A total of four USA batsmen got out for a duck, while others barring Marshall did not go past four runs in their nightmare innings.

Chasing USA's target of 36 runs, Nepal lost two wickets before they sealed the match in 5.2 overs. Spinner Nosthush Kenjige was the wicket-taker for USA as he removed Nepal openers Gyanendra Malla and Subash Khakurel.