No Paras Khadka? No problem for Nepal, as they started their first World Cup League Two series without their greatest talisman with a rousing win over United States in Oman.
Much has happened in the time since qualifying matches for the 50-over World Cup last took place. Most pertinently for Nepal, that has included the recent retirement of former captain Khadka.
To put his departure into context, the only previous times Nepal had chased scores in excess of 200 to win 50-over games, Khadka had scored centuries.
The young side he has left behind showed they have learnt much, though, as they chased 231 with uncharacteristic ease.
By the time victory was sealed, they had five wickets and six balls in hand. That represents a cruise by Nepal standards.
It is 19 months since this competition — which decides which sides advance to the global qualifier for the next World Cup - ceased because of the onset of the pandemic.
Even if the league table has been in stasis since, much has changed in that time — not least the venue where the competition is resuming.
The Oman Cricket Academy ground in Al Amerat, a suburb of Muscat at the foot of the Hajar mountains, will be playing host to T20 World Cup matches later this year.
The clock is ticking till the start of that event, meaning all hands are to the pump.
As such, the first two thirds of this ODI were played out to the sound of the click-clacking of workmen, and JCBs shovelling gravel.
Already, it has a different feel to the village-green ambience which used to pervade here. Gone are the trees which lined the oval.
At the Muscat end of the ground there is the shell of a new permanent structure, set to house hospitality and media when the World Cup comes to town.
Lining the perimeter where the trees used to be is a temporary stand which is set to hold nearly 700 people for the tournament.
Four more of a similar size are set to be added, ahead of matches which will feature Bangladesh, Papua New Guinea, Scotland and the host nation.
For now, though, it is about 50-over cricket, and a tri-series which also involves Oman — who will face Nepal in the second match on Tuesday
Bizarrely, when United States’ batsmen made it to 36 that counted as a minor triumph. The previous time these sides had met in this competition — in the last series before Covid took hold — USA were bowled out for 35 in a mere 12 overs.
Their effort this time was vastly better, thanks chiefly to the fine century by Monank Patel which underpinned it.
The 28-year-old wicketkeeper reached three figures, then hit the 114th ball he faced straight to Kushal Bhurtel.
It was one of three fine catches for Bhurtel, and he also played a crucial hand in the chase, too.
He top scored with 84 at the top of the order, while 19-year-old Rohit Paudel saw his side through to the win, ending not out on 62 as victory was sealed.
Virtual banks explained
What is a virtual bank?
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority defines it as a bank that delivers services through the internet or other electronic channels instead of physical branches. That means not only facilitating payments but accepting deposits and making loans, just like traditional ones. Other terms used interchangeably include digital or digital-only banks or neobanks. By contrast, so-called digital wallets or e-wallets such as Apple Pay, PayPal or Google Pay usually serve as intermediaries between a consumer’s traditional account or credit card and a merchant, usually via a smartphone or computer.
What’s the draw in Asia?
Hundreds of millions of people under-served by traditional institutions, for one thing. In China, India and elsewhere, digital wallets such as Alipay, WeChat Pay and Paytm have already become ubiquitous, offering millions of people an easy way to store and spend their money via mobile phone. Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines are also among the world’s biggest under-banked countries; together they have almost half a billion people.
Is Hong Kong short of banks?
No, but the city is among the most cash-reliant major economies, leaving room for newcomers to disrupt the entrenched industry. Ant Financial, an Alibaba Group Holding affiliate that runs Alipay and MYBank, and Tencent Holdings, the company behind WeBank and WeChat Pay, are among the owners of the eight ventures licensed to create virtual banks in Hong Kong, with operations expected to start as early as the end of the year.
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 640hp
Torque: 760nm
On sale: 2026
Price: Not announced yet
CRICKET%20WORLD%20CUP%20QUALIFIER%2C%20ZIMBABWE%20
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England v South Africa Test series:
First Test: at Lord's, England won by 211 runs
Second Test: at Trent Bridge, South Africa won by 340 runs
Third Test: at The Oval, July 27-31
Fourth Test: at Old Trafford, August 4-8
The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Power: 575bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh554,000
On sale: now
Film: Raid
Dir: Rajkumar Gupta
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Ileana D'cruz and Saurabh Shukla
Verdict: Three stars
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
MATCH INFO
FA Cup final
Chelsea 1
Hazard (22' pen)
Manchester United 0
Man of the match: Eden Hazard (Chelsea)
SPECS
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The%20US%20Congress%20explained
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MATCH INFO
Manchester City 2 (Mahrez 04', Ake 84')
Leicester City 5 (Vardy 37' pen, 54', 58' pen, Maddison 77', Tielemans 88' pen)
Man of the match: Jamie Vardy (Leicester City)
The specs
Price: From Dh180,000 (estimate)
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged and supercharged in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 320hp @ 5,700rpm
Torque: 400Nm @ 2,200rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.7L / 100km
FIGHT%20CARD
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The specs: 2017 Lotus Evora Sport 410
Price, base / as tested Dh395,000 / Dh420,000
Engine 3.5L V6
Transmission Six-speed manual
Power 410hp @ 7,000rpm
Torque 420Nm @ 3,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.7L / 100km
Kill%20Bill%20Volume%201
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GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
The%20specs
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The%20Crown%20season%205
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Shipping%20and%20banking%20
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India squad for fourth and fifth Tests
Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rahul, Shaw, Pujara, Rahane (vc), Karun, Karthik (wk), Pant (wk), Ashwin, Jadeja, Pandya, Ishant, Shami, Umesh, Bumrah, Thakur, Vihari
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
ELECTION%20RESULTS
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Honeymoonish
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Command%20Z
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