The details of the match barely matter, but for the sake of completeness, Papua New Guinea were bowled out for 114, Sandeep Lamichhane and Dipendra Singh Airee both taking four wickets. Nepal had a scare when they were reduced to 13-2, but Airee completed a fine all-round performance with an unbeaten 50 to secure a six wicket win for Nepal.

That was just stage one for Nepal though. Their attention turned to the other seventh place play-off semi-final where the Netherlands were playing Hong Kong, knowing that a Dutch win would secure Nepal's ODI status. This was eventually achieved and the celebrations could begin for Nepal.

Nepal, ICC member for 30 years, associate members since 1996, in possession of the most passionate fanbase of any associate member, with a board currently suspended by the ICC and who snuck into the qualifier on the back of some incredibly tight finishes in WCL Division Two last month, had gained the ODI status their fans had been hoping for.

That they are currently suspended is perhaps the most remarkable aspect of their situation. Whilst in the past suspended members have been excluded from participating in ICC tournaments, the ICC took the decision that with Nepal (and the USA) they would not punish the players and allow them to continue playing international cricket. Whilst the ICC - rightly - come in for a lot of criticism over the way they handle associate cricket, this is one thing they deserve credit for.

They haven't had the spectacular rise up the World Cricket League that Afghanistan - who beat them in the semi-final of the 2008 WCL5 tournament - had previously, instead hovering around the lower reaches, often losing crucial games by narrow margins.

Qualifying for the 2014 World T20 - and a brief spell with T20I status - looked like starting a new era, but a disappointing 2014 World Cup Qualifier had them back in WCL2. That tournament again looked like being another disappointment, but they were handed a last minute reprieve when the ICC took Ireland and Afghanistan out of the World Cricket League Championship, replacing them with Nepal and Kenya.

The 2015 World T20 Qualifier was another disappointment though, losing Nepal their T20I status, and they only won 4 of their 14 2015-17 WCL Championship matches, leaving them back in WCL Division 2. Something there began a turn around though. Where once they'd lost crucial games by close margins, they developed a habit of snatching victory from the jaws of apparent certain defeat.

The run chase against Canada in the final round robin match of that event will go down in Nepali cricketing history as Karan KC scored 42 batting at 10 in a 51 run final wicket partnership to book Nepal's ticket to Zimbabwe. They started poorly with defeats to Zimbabwe, Scotland and Afghanistan before beating Hong Kong in the final round robin match to secure what was arguably a more favourable match against Papua New Guinea today.

They will now play the seventh place play-off against the Netherlands on Saturday. Despite both sides certain of having ODI status, that match won't be an ODI as that status won't take effect until after the conclusion of the tournament. The ninth place play-off between Papua New Guinea and Hong Kong will be an ODI, and will be the 4,000th such match. Neither will play another ODI for at least four years.