Kathmandu, Dec. 3 -- Adam Rossington taps the bat on the turf a couple of times. As the bowler closes in, he raises the bat alongside his head, its handle angled upward. The moment the ball is released, he unleashes a powerful swing. This is a stance Rossington is adept at.

But on Tuesday, at the TU International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur, Rossington took a while before he went into overdrive.

He played out two dot balls before taking a single off the third delivery he faced. He missed out again on the fourth, but launched the fifth for a six, followed by two consecutive fours. By the time the first innings concluded, he went on to hammer 11 fours and 7 sixes, finishing unbeaten on 108 off 58 deliveries and powering the Pokhara Avenger...