Nepali Sports

Pakistan have risen to No. 1 in the ICC's Test rankings for the first time. They took the top position from India, following India's washed out Test against West Indies in Trinidad. Pakistan had moved to No. 2 on the table last week, after drawing the Test series in England 2-2 and after Australia were whitewashed 3-0 in Sri Lanka. At the same time, India had moved to No. 1 after beating West Indies in the St Lucia Test to go 2-0 up in their four-match series; they needed to win the final Test, in Trinidad, to hold on to No. 1, but the match was drawn after weather and outfield issues forced play to be abandoned over four days. Last week was the second time in less than a year that Pakistan had moved to No. 2 on the rankings - the highest they had previously been since the current rankings system was put in place in 2003. They had featured at No. 2 for the first time in November 2015, after beating England 2-0 in the UAE. Their rise to No. 1 was built on the back of a...

Australia 228 for 7 (Smith 58, Finch 56, Bailey 39, Dilruwan Perera 3-48) beat Sri Lanka 227 for 8 (Chandimal 80*, Kusal Mendis 67, Faulkner 4-38, Starc 3-32) by three wickets Sri Lanka had no fewer than six slow-bowling options - half of them specialists. And by the time Australia batted, the dry Premadasa pitch had begun to bubble and spit. In the Tests, these ingredients had led to humbling defeats for the visitors while the local spinners reaped sackfuls of wickets. But perhaps for the first time on tour, Australia satisfactorily negotiated the spin challenge. The win wasn't always pretty, but it was comfortable enough. With Aaron Finch and Steven Smith making half centuries, Australia chased down 228 with three wickets and more than three overs to spare. It had been Australia's quicks' discipline that had earlier tethered Sri Lanka to a relatively modest total, even given the difficult conditions. Mitchell Starc took three important wickets as he became the quicke...

Paras Khadka is sitting in the away changing room at Lord's, wiping the sweat and dried-on sunblock from his face. He smiles wearily after accepting congratulations for his team's performance, having closed out victory over MCC in their first appearance at cricket's most famous ground. Looking out through the balcony windows as his team-mates bustle about their post-match business, Nepal's captain savours the moment. Khadka is entitled to feel a little bushed, having directed his players in the field for the past three hours, as London stewed on one of the hottest days of the year. The sort of captain who leads with word and deed, Khadka made 30 batting at No. 4 - the second highest score in Nepal's 217 for 8, including their only six - before chipping to mid-on, and then opened the bowling, reeling off six straight overs of accurate medium-pace with the new ball. After the final MCC wicket fell, one of three for Basant Regmi, the players went for a walk around ...