Nepal national women’s cricket team thrashed Bahrain by eight wickets on Monday to advance into the semi-finals of the ACC Women’s Twenty20 Championship with still a match left.

The match was reduced to seven-overs-a-side after the rain forced a delayed start at the Kinrara Oval Academy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Electing to field first after winning the toss, Nepal restricted Bahrain to a paltry 14-6 in the stipulated seven overs. Kabita Kunwar took 2-2 and Sabnam Rai returned the match figures of 3-2.

Kunwar bowled Bahrain captain and opener Deepika Rasangika for 2 runs in the 2.1 overs and trapped Pavithra Shetty lbw in the next delivery.

Bahrain women’s any remaining hopes of making it to the semi-finals were dealt a major blow after they lost two batters in the next over as Asmina Karmacharya sent Abeera Waris for just 1 run and player-of-the-match Kunwar ran out opener Tharanga Gajanayeke for 2.

Sabnam Rai did the rest of the job removing Deepika Bhaskara for a duck and Ishara Suhun for six.

Shashikala Prakash and Prajna Jagdeesha were not out for 2 and no runs, respectively.

In reply, Nepal completed the chase in two overs, losing two wickets.

Sita Rana Magar top scored for Nepal with a four facing three deliveries after opener Indu Barna was trapped in front by Shetty in the first ball of the first over.

Vilcita Barboza removed Rana Magar in the third ball of the second over.

Kabita Joshi hit three runs facing 10 balls to give Nepal women a third consecutive victory.

Nepal are atop the Group ‘B’ standings with six points, two ahead of Hong Kong, who have played two games less. Hong Kong are also staring at another last four spot, having maintained their winning streak in the group after thrashing Bahrain by eight wickets on Sunday.

Nepal can reach the semi-finals as group winners if they beat Hong Kong on Tuesday.

Hong Kong face Kuwait in their last group match on Wednesday.

Bahrain, whose opening match against Kuwait was called off due to rain, sit in the fourth position.

Kuwait are third.

The United Arab Emirates also maintained their unbeaten run in Group ‘B’ with a 31-run win over Malaysia on Monday.

Theertha Satish scored a half century that featured five boundaries and played an unbeaten 62-run partnership for the first wicket with Kavisha Egodage, who in her 45-run knock hit four fours and a six, as the UAE posted 134-1 after being sent to bat first.

Opener Esha Oza smashed 26 runs off 31 deliveries that included a four and a six, before she was caught by Nur Arianna Natsya off Mas Elysa.

In reply, Malaysia lost captain Winifred Duraisingam (7) and Wan Julia (7) with 19 runs on board.

But Elysa and Elsa Hunter both hit 34 runs each to anchor the innings until Theertha Satish ran out Hunter in the first delivery of the 13th over to break their partnership.

Hunter’s casualty started the curse with the bat as Indhuja Nandakumar dismissed Ainna Hamizah Hashim and Nur Arianna Natsya in the next three deliveries before dismissing Jamahidaya Intan in the 15.1 over. Nandakumar then trapped Elysa in front in the penultimate ball of the same over to return the match figures of 10-4.

Sasha Azmi, Nur Dania Syuhada and Nik Nur Atiela could not contribute much as Malaysia could only manage 103-8 to succumb to a first loss.

The UAE, whose first match against Oman women was washed out due to rain, lead the Group ‘A’ with five points.

Malaysia are second on four points. Both the UAE and Malaysia have played equal three matches.

Qatar are third with one win and one loss, but have two matches left.

Singapore beat Oman by five wickets in the day’s other match and are second from bottom after registering their first win.

Oman are at the bottom with one point.