Nepal registered a three-wicket victory over hosts Malaysia in the fifth and final match of the Twenty20 International series to clinch the bilateral series 3-2 at the YSD-UKM Cricket Oval in Bangi on Sunday.

Inviting the home team to bat first, Nepal restricted them to 109-5 and scored 110-7 with four balls to spare in the decisive game of the series.

Nepal had won the second and third match of the series by seven wickets and 27 runs, respectively and lost the first and fourth game of the series by five wickets and four wickets, respectively.

Openers Winifred Duraisingam and Wan Julia gave a strong start to Malaysia, putting up a 38-run stand for the first wicket. Julia scored 47 runs off 60 balls, the highest of the innings, studded with three hits to the boundary before she got run out off the last ball of the innings.

Julia contributed 24 runs off 25 balls, which comprised four hits to the boundary before Kabita Joshi had her leg before wicket. Mahirah Izzati Ismail was the other major contributor, scoring 20 runs from 31 deliveries and she also shared a 60-run stand for the third wicket with Julia before her dismissal. Joshi had her caught by Kabita Kunwar in the 19th over.

Joshi was the pick of Nepal bowling taking two wickets in her four-over spell, conceding 12 runs. Ishwori Bist picked up one wicket.

Chasing the target, Nepal were off to a troubled start losing opener Kabita Kunwar on four runs, Indu Barma on five and Samjhana Khadka without opening her scoring. But the other opener Sita Rana Magar and captain Rubina Chhetry made valuable contributions in Nepal’s victory.

Rana Magar scored 34 runs off 37 balls, the highest of the innings, studded with six hits to the boundary. The player-of-the-match Rana Magar was caught by Mas Elysa off a Nur Dania Syuhada delivery.

Chhetry contributed 23 runs off 30 balls that included three hits to the boundary before Duraisingam clean bowled her. Jyoti Pandey played an unbeaten innings, contributing a 16-ball 11 and Apsari Begam remained unconquered on 15 runs off 13 balls. Begam hit two boundaries.

Malaysia’s Ainna Hamizah Hashim picked up two wickets in her four-over spell, conceding 23 runs.

The Nepal captain, Chhetry, was named the player of the series. She scored a total of 81 runs and claimed five wickets in the series. Hosts Malaysia’s Duraisingam was named the best batter for her 102 runs while her teammate Nik Nur Atiela was named the best bowler for her six wickets in the tournament.