KINGSTOWN, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, June 15, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Inspired by the return of their champion leg-spinner, Nepal's array of slow bowlers exploited a turgid surface to limit South Africa to 115 for seven batting first in a Group D match of the T20 World Cup at the Arnos Vale Stadium in St Vincent on Friday.

Sandeep Lamichhane, denied a visa to enter the United States which kept him out of the first two matches, went wicketless through four overs but his mere presence seemed to lift his teammates with leg-break bowler Kushal Bhurtel (4 for 19) and off-spinner Dipendra Singh Airee (3 for 21) doing the damage after their captain, Rohit Paudel, won an important toss and put the Proteas in.

Already assured of a place in the Super Eight phase of the tournament and looking to close out the group campaign with a fourth win in as many matches, none of the South African top-order were able to get on top of the bowling, although opener Reeza Hendricks managed to give the innings some sort of stability with a top-score of 43 off 49 balls (five fours, one six).

Seeking to gain a measure of respectability against these powerful opponents after a frustrating campaign in the United States where they lost to The Netherlands and saw their match against Sri Lanka washed out, the Nepalese bowlers were in their element throughout the innings with only a late effort by Tristan Stubbs (27 not out off 18 balls) causing them some concern before Bhurtel closed off the innings with the wickets of Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada off successive balls.