KATHMANDU: Nepal secured a thrilling victory over Hong Kong by 6 wickets in their final group stage match of the Women’s Day Cup, held in Uganda on Friday.
Despite being out of contention for the final, Nepal ended their campaign on a high note with an impressive chase at the Entebbe ground.
Chasing a target of 105 runs set by Hong Kong, Nepal reached 108 for 4 with just three balls to spare. Samjhana Khadka played a crucial knock, scoring 47 runs to lead the team to victory.
Pooja Mahato remained unbeaten on 20 runs, while captain Indu Barma contributed 18 runs to the successful chase.
Among Hong Kong bowlers, Mehak Deep and Lai Win took one wicket each.
Earlier, Hong Kong, who opted to bat first after winning the toss, managed to score 104 runs for the loss of 8 wickets in the allotted 20 overs.
Shanzeen Shahzad led the charge with a half-century, scoring 54 runs off 47 balls, marking her first fifty of the tournament. Chan Ka Ying added 16 runs, while Yasmin Daswani scored 14. Despite a promising start, Hong Kong managed only 8 runs in the last 4 overs, missing the opportunity to set a bigger target.
Nepal’s bowling attack was spearheaded by Rajmati Airee, who took 3 wickets for 17 runs in her 4-over spell. Skipper Indu Barma also impressed with 2 wickets for just 12 runs in 4 overs. Pooja Mahato and Ishwori Bista claimed a wicket each, effectively restricting Hong Kong’s run flow.
With this win, Nepal concluded their group stage journey with 4 points from 6 matches, finishing in fourth place.
Uganda, Namibia, and Hong Kong each secured 6 points, leaving Nepal out of the top 2 spots required for the final.
Despite their exit, Nepal’s spirited performance in their last match offered a positive note to end their campaign.
The final of the Women’s Day Cup will feature the top two teams from the group, while the third and fourth-placed teams will compete for the third position.
Comment