By a staff reporter
Kathmandu – Nepal have made a winning start in the Women’s Quadrangular T20I series in Malaysia. Sita Rana Magar shined with the ball in her hand as Nepal defeated Hong Kong by six wickets.
Nepal chased down the target of a mere 85 runs in 15.5 overs at the loss of four wickets. Samjhana Khadka scored an unbeaten 36 runs in 36 deliveries while Sita Rana Magar also remained not out with three runs in eight deliveries.
Chasing 85 runs, Nepal lost opener Bindu Rawal on zero runs in the second delivery. Rawal’s opening partner Puja Mahato who was making her debut, scored 16 off 18 deliveries. Indu Barma scored nine runs while skipper Rubina Chhetri managed to score 10 runs. Iqra Sahar, Mariko Aota, Bibi Maryam and Ka Ying Chan took one wicket apiece for Hong Kong.
Earlier, Hong Kong, who were put into bat after losing the toss, conjured up 84 runs in 19.1 overs losing all of their wickets. Ying Chan scored 34 runs in 29 deliveries along with two fours and a six. Every other batter for Hong Kong struggled against the Nepali bowling attack.
Sita Rana Magar showcased an excellent bowling performance for the Nepali ladies. She took a fifer in four overs, letting just 16 runs in her spell. This is the best figures in her T20I career. She is the fourth bowler for Nepal Women’s Team to take five wickets in an innings after Anjali Chand, Neri Thapa and Ashmina Karmacharya.
Similarly, Kabita Kunwar, Puja Mahato and Rubina Chhetri took one wicket each for Nepal.
Nepal will take on Kuwait in the second match of the series on Wednesday, August 23. Nepal will round off the round-robin stage by taking on the hosts Malaysia on Friday, August 25.
The top two sides in the league stage will contest the final on Saturday, August 26. The third and fourth-placed teams will contest in the third-place playoff on the same day.
Nepal are also scheduled to take on Thailand in a practice match ahead of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifiers that will be held from August 31 to September 9 in Malaysia. Nepal have been grouped alongside the UAE, Qatar, Malaysia, Bhutan and Bahrain in Group A. China, Hong Kong, Kuwait, Myanmar and Thailand make up Group B. The top two teams in each group will contest the semifinals.
The two finalists will qualify for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024. Nepal will take on Malaysia on August 31, Bahrain on September 1, Bhutan on September 3, Qatar on September 4 and the UAE on September 6.
