Nepal national women’s team began their ACC Women’s Twenty20 Championship with a 50-run thrashing of Bhutan on Friday.

Sangita Rai returned the match figures of 6-4 and Kabita Kunwar and Sita Rana Magar combined for four for 11 as Nepal restricted Bhutan, who were chasing 95, for just 44 runs in 17.5 overs.

Sent to field first after losing the loss, Bhutan batting crumbled after Kunwar wrecked the top order removing opener Yeshey Choden for just 1 before having captain Dechen Wamgno caught by Jyoti Pandey, also for 1 run at the UKM-YSD Cricket Oval in Bangi, Malaysia.

Ngawang Choden contributed 8 runs off 16 deliveries but she too departed quickly after she was trapped in front by Asmina Karmacharya.

Tshering Zangmo was the top scorer of Bhutan hitting 16 off 28 runs but Sonam Choden (5), Pema Seldon (4), Tashi Lhaden (1) and Sonam (1) all failed to offer a much-needed support before Zangmo, too, was out in the 17th over, caught by Indu Barma off Sita Rana Magar, who also had Sonam Choden caught by Bindu Rawal.

Off spinner Sangita Rai, who sent Lhaden and Sonam, did the rest of the work bowling out Anju Gurung and trapping Tashi Cheki leg before wicket to help her side register a comprehensive victory.

Barma took the wicket of Pema Seldon. Sangay Wangmo was not out for 2 runs

Earlier, Nepal’s top order collapsed as Rawal (1) and her opening partner Pandey (out for duck) fell cheaply inside two overs.

Rana Magar soon followed with 3-12 on board after she was caught behind for just 4 but Barma and Kajal Shrestha steadied the innings sharing a 32-run partnership for the fourth wicket.

Barma, who scored 20, was caught by Wangmo off Cheki in the 11th over.

Captain Rubina Chhetry then aided Shrestha at crease scoring 21 before Shrestha (26) was run out in the penultimate ball of the 16th over.

Chhetri was bowled out by Sonam in the third ball of the 20th over.

Mamta Chaudhary (3), Dolly Bhatta (1) and Karmacharya could not contribute much.

Kunwar played not out 1.

The win means Nepal lead the Group ‘B’ standings with two points. Bahrain and Kuwait shared a point each after their match was washed out by rain. Bhutan are at the bottom.

Hosts Malaysia also made a winning start in Group ‘A’ as they demolished Singapore women by 117 runs.

Half-centuries from captain Winifred Duraisingam and Mas Elysa helped the hosts post a huge total of 171-4 in 20 overs.

Elysa also took 7-2 and combined with Sasha Azmi, Aisya Eleesa and Nik Nur Atiela, who all pocketed two scalps each, to restrict Singapore to 54 for a big win.

The Group A match between the United Arab Emirates and Oman was also ended by rain.

The two finalists will qualify for the 2022 Women’s T20 Asian Cup, scheduled to be played in Bangladesh in October 2022.

Nepal face Kuwait in their second group match on Saturday. Bhutan meet Hong Kong in another Group ‘B’ match.

In Group ‘A’, Singapore meet the UAE and Malaysia lock horns with Qatar.