Nepal’s women cricket team edged out hosts Malaysia by 27 runs in the third match to take a 2-1 lead in five-match Twenty20 International bilateral series in Bangi, Malaysia, on Thursday.

Sent into bat first at the YSD-UKM Cricket Oval, Nepal posted 110-5 and then restricted the home team to 83-4 in the allotted 20 overs.

Nepal had gone down by five wickets in the opening match on Monday, but defeated the home team by seven wickets the following day on the back of an all-round performance by captain Rubina Chhetry.

Captain Chhetry, coming in to bat at number five, again contributed the highest score of the innings, playing a quickfire knock of 27 off only 15 balls before getting run out. Named the player-of-the-match for the second match in a row, the captain hit three fours and a six.

After losing opener Kabita Kunwar for two runs, her opening partner Sita Rana Magar and Jyoti Pandey shared a 35-run stand for the second wicket. The wicketkeeper-batter Pandey contributed 23 runs off 24 balls studded with three hits to the boundary before being dismissed. Rana Magar scored 21 runs off 35 balls before she fell as the third wicket. Indu Barma made a remarkable contribution, a 30-ball 20.

Malaysian bowler Nik Nur Atiela picked up two wickets in her four-over spell, conceding 23 runs.

Chasing the target, the home team lost opener Wan Julia (6) and captain Mas Elysa (2) cheaply, with 16-2 on board. Number four batter Mahirah Izzati Ismail tried to anchor the innings with an unbeaten 44 off 54 balls that included six hits to the boundary.

Opener Winifred Duraisingam also contributed 20 runs off 38 balls, but they were slow in the run chase and ultimately lost the game.

Nepal’s Kabita Kunwar, Rana Magar and Barma shared a wicket each.

Nepal will play their next game on Saturday and could seal the series, if they beat the home team.