
Cricket
Nepal thump Kuwait by nine wickets in Asia Qualifiers
Nepali women bowl out Kuwait for 27 runs in 15.4 overs and wrap up the victory by achieving the target in 3.3 overs.
Sports Bureau
Nepali women cricket team registered a thumping nine-wicket win over Kuwait to pull off second victory in a row in the ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Region Qualifiers at the ICC Academy grounds in Dubai on Thursday.
Electing to bat first, Kuwait were restricted for a meager total of 27 runs in 15.4 overs after Nepal's Sangita Rai claimed three wickets while captain Rubina Chhetry and Karuna Bhandari grabbed two wickets each. In the run chase, Chhetry, who came to open the innings remained unbeaten with 12 runs and Indu Barma not out with 13 runs as Nepal surpassed the target in 3.3 overs at the loss of just one wicket.
Nepal had defeated Bhutan by eight wickets in their last match on Tuesday. They lost their opening match to Hong Kong by six wickets on Monday.
Kuwait's opener Priyada Murali was the only player to reach a double digit score of 10 runs. She hit two fours in her 20-ball knock before she was run out in the first ball of the fifth over. Maryam Oman (7 runs), Maria Jasvi (5 runs) and Aakriti Bose (2 runs) were the only other players to open accounts.
Nepali bowler Rai conceded three runs in her 2.4 overs bowling. Captain Chhetry gave away one run in her three-over bowling with two maiden overs. Karuna Bhandari gave away eight runs in her three over spell.
In the run chase, captain Chhetry and Sita Rana Magar came to open Nepal's innings before the latter was bowled out for a duck in the fifth delivery of the first over by Maria Jasvi.
But Chhetry and Barma made light work of the Kuwaiti team with unbeaten knocks. Chhetri hit a four in her 10-ball knock to remain unbeaten with 12 runs. She was named player of the match. Barma also hit a boundary facing eight deliveries before scoring 13 runs to guide Nepal to victory.
With the second win from three matches, Nepal climbed on top of the six teams standings with four points. Hosts United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Hong Kong also have four points each. But Nepal holds superiority over them on net run rates. The UAE, meanwhile, have played only two matches and Hong Kong three.
Malaysia and Bhutan are fourth and fifth with two points each while Kuwait sits at the bottom with no point.
The team finishing on top of the table at the end of round robin league will be guaranteed a place for the global qualifiers to take place next year.