Photo Credit: ICC
UAE registered a six-wicket win over Thailand to qualify for the inaugural ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup in the afternoon game. Earlier in the morning games, Nepal rounded off their tournament with a win over hosts Malaysia to finish third as Qatar ensured they bowed out with a win over Bhutan.
Bhutan vs Qatar
An all-round effort by Aleena Khan, picking 3-8 with the ball and later scoring an unbeaten 41 in a chase of 115, led Qatar to a 7-wicket win over Bhutan. The win meant Qatar avoided the wooden spoon as Bhutan remained winless.
Having won the toss and elected to bowl first, Qatar’s bowlers strayed initially as Bhutan openers Sonam and captain Ngawang Choden raced to 42 in four overs before Qatar captain Saachi Dhadwal ran out Sonam for 12. Choden, who top-scored with 27, while hitting five boundaries, followed two overs later edging a delivery from Aleena Khan to the keeper Shruti Rana in the seventh over.
Three other batters got starts but failed to convert it into a significant score with as many as four batters scoring 12. Bhutan lost three wickets in the last over bowled by Dhadwal, two run-outs and an LBW, to finish on 114-9. Aleena Khan registered figures of 4-0-8-3.
In reply, Sonam priced out opener Dhadwal for a duck as no wickets fell for the next 15 overs. Rana and Khan put on a mammoth 107-run partnership for the second wicket as Qatar cruised to the target in 17 overs despite a couple of late wickets by Chado Om and a run-out. Rana struck seven boundaries but fell a run short of a half-century.
Player-of-the-match Aleena Khan was elated after her all-round contributions to lift the team.
“When we started bowling, we got hit for quite a few runs and the team was feeling down at the time. When I came on to bowl, we were bowling really well. I got two wickets and that brought me a lot of confidence. My roommate Hiya Ladani took an amazing catch. While batting, it was all about staying at the crease and since I batted well yesterday, I had that innings behind me. The partnership with Shruti was really good.”
Brief scores:
Qatar won by 7 wickets. Bhutan 114-9 in 20 overs. Qatar 115-3 in 17 overs.
Player of the match: Aleena Khan
Malaysia vs Nepal
A half-century partnership between Anjali Bishowkarma and Ashma Magar backed up the bowlers set up Nepal’s 25-run victory over the hosts, Malaysia at the UKM Oval. The win helped Nepal finish third in the tournament.
After winning the toss and opting to bat first, Nepal lost Kiran Kunwar, run out for a duck, in the first over. Anjali Bishowkarma (33) and Ashma Magar (26) partnered each other to weather the new-ball impact. The duo struck three boundaries between them as they put up a 58-run stand for the first wicket.
Once Magar was dismissed in the 14th over, caught off Nur Dania, Nepal failed to gather any momentum. Shristi Jaisi soon followed, bowled off Nur Dania, and her wicket precipitated a collapse that saw Nepal lose 5 wickets for 17 runs to finish on 86-7.
In reply, Malaysian batters started the chase slowly and lost both openers with 25 on the board in the eighth over. Elsa Hunter led from the front with a 32-ball 28 but found little support from the other end and was dismissed by her opposite number, Nepal’s Kritika Marasini in the 13th over.
Requiring 47 off 42 balls with six wickets in hand, Malaysian batters could only manage 21 to finish with 61-4 and end their campaign with a loss. Marasini stood out with figures of 4-1-6-2.
Anjali Bishowkarma was adjudged the player-of-the-match for her 54-ball 33.
Brief scores:
Nepal won by 25 runs. Nepal 86-7 in 20 overs. Malaysia 61-4 in 20 overs.
Player of the match: Anjali Bishowkarma
UAE vs Thailand
Captain Theertha Satish’s unbeaten 38 and a collective bowling performance helped UAE win by 6 wickets against Thailand and qualify for the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup.
After winning the choosing to bat, Thailand struggled as they lost four wickets in the powerplay for 22 runs. Phannita Maya held fort by scoring a 39-ball 40, a knock that featured six boundaries. Left-arm seamer Mahika Gaur (2-11) and leg-spinner Vaishnave Mahesh (2-16) picked two wickets apiece to restrict Thailand to 84-8 in 20 overs.
In reply, Thai captain Thipatcha Putthawong dismissed Lavanya Keny for a six-ball duck and Sunida Chaturongrattana cut short Samaira Dharnidharka’s 14-ball stay at the crease as UAE wobbled at 27-2 in the fifth over.
However, Theertha Satish led her side from the front scoring an unbeaten 38 and forging a 53-run partnership with Vaishnave Mahesh (21) for the third wicket to take UAE to the brink of qualification. Mahesh was dismissed by Nanthita Boonsukham before Putthawong returned to snuff out Mahika Gaur LBW but the UAE eventually completed the chase in the 18th over to seal their fate.
Theertha Satish was adjudged player-of-the-match for her run-a-ball 38.
Brief scores:
UAE won by 6 wickets. Thailand 84-8 in 20 overs. UAE 85-4 in 17.1 overs.
Player of the match: Theertha Satish
Name of Author: ICC
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is the global governing body for cricket, founded in 1909 as the Imperial Cricket Conference. Renamed the International Cricket Conference in 1965, it became the ICC in 1987. Headquartered in Dubai, UAE, the ICC has 108 member nations.
