KATHMANDU, JANUARY 22

Nepal suffered an 83-run defeat to Australia in their final group-stage match of the ICC Women's U-19 World Cup Cricket at the UKM-YSD Cricket Oval in Bangi, Malaysia on Wednesday.

Chasing a target of 140 runs set by Australia, Nepal was restricted to just 56 runs for the loss of eight wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Captain Pooja Mahato top-scored with 18 runs, while no other batter could reach double digits. Australian bowlers Juliette Morton, Lily Bassingthwaighte, and Hasrat Gill each took two wickets to dismantle Nepal's batting lineup.

Earlier, Australia opted to bat first after winning the toss and posted 139/6 in 20 overs. Caoimhe Bray led the scoring with 45 runs off 34 deliveries, hitting three fours and three sixes. Eleanor Larose added 31 runs from 39 balls with three boundaries, while Hasrat Gill contributed 30 runs. Chloe Ainsworth remained unbeaten on 16, and Ines McKeon chipped in with eight.

For Nepal, skipper Puja Mahato claimed three wickets, Seemana KC picked up two, and Riya Sharma took one.

This marks Nepal's third straight loss in the tournament. The team suffered a five-wicket defeat against Bangladesh in their opening match, followed by a narrow one-wicket loss to Scotland.

Meanwhile, with their victory over Nepal, Australia advanced to the Super Six stage of the competition, maintaining an unbeaten record in the group phase. Australia had earlier registered wins against Scotland by nine wickets and Bangladesh by two wickets.