KATHMANDU, JUNE 9

Nepal women's youth cricket team defeated Malaysia by 25 runs in the fifth and last match of the ICC U-19 Women's World Cup Asia Qualifier at the UKM-YSD Cricket Oval in Bangi today.

Batting first, Nepal posted 86-7 in their 20 overs before restricting the home team for 61-4. With their third win in five matches, Nepal finished the campaign with six points and they came third in the table.

Nepal made a poor start with opener Kiran Kumari Kunwar getting run out for a duck in the sixth ball the innings.

Another opener Anjali Bishowkarma and Ashma Pulami Magar added 58 runs for the second wicket.

Bishowkarma top scored for Nepal with 54-ball 33 with the help of two fours, while Pulami Magar struck a boundary in her 26 off 38 balls.

Other batter failed to contribute in double figures as Nepal lost five wickets in the space of 17 runs. Nur Dania Syuhada Abedu Samad took two wickets and skipper Elsa Hunter bagged one for Malaysia.

In reply, the home team batters could not resist the attack from Nepali bowlers.

Skipper Hunter fought the lonely battle scoring 28 off 32 balls that included three boundaries. Other Malaysian batters failed to score in double digits. Nurhasyimah Tajuddin (seven) and Ainur Amelina Muhd Ridwan (eight) added 21 runs for the unbroken fifth wicket.

Nepal skipper Kritika Marasini grabbed 2-6 from overs, while Manisha Kumari Upadhayay took one wicket.

Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates earned berth in the ICC U-19 Women's World Cup to be held next year in South Africa. The UAE finished at the top of the table with perfect 10 points following their six-wicket victory over Thailand.

Batting first, Thailand scored 84-8 in 20 overs at the Kinrara Oval in Kuala Lumpur before Thailand overcame the target losing four wickets with 17 balls to spare. The UAE had bowled Nepal out for their all-time low score of eight runs before completing the victory in seven balls. Nepal faced their second loss against Thailand, while they recorded victories over Qatar, Bhutan and Malaysia.

A version of this article appears in the print on June 10, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.