Nepal’s T20 Series Finals Hopes Dashed with Loss to Hong Kong

Nepal faced its second consecutive defeat in the women’s T20 series involving four countries, shattering its chances of reaching the tournament final. In the match against Hong Kong, the home team secured a convincing 9-wicket victory, eliminating Nepal from contention for the series title.

Hong Kong, with two back-to-back wins, secured a spot in the final alongside Tanzania. Nepal and Japan, after failing to secure victories in their respective matches, were unable to reach the final.

In the second match, Nepal struggled with the bat against Hong Kong, posting a target of 57 runs. However, Hong Kong effortlessly chased down the total in just 9 overs, losing only 1 wicket in the process.

Natasha Miles, with an unbeaten 30, and Shanjin Shahzad, contributing 20 not out, led Hong Kong to victory. Mariko Hill was run out by Nepal’s captain Indu Burma for 5 runs.

Earlier, Nepal, opting to bat after winning the toss at the Hong Kong Cricket Club, managed to score only 56 runs in 18 overs. The top six batters failed to reach double figures, with Hong Kong’s Ikra Sahar claiming a hat-trick in the third over. Ikra dismissed Kajal Shrestha and Indu Burma, completing the hat-trick after removing Jakan Khadka for 1 run in 2.3 overs. At this point, Nepal had lost 4 wickets in 2.5 overs, adding just 5 runs.

Despite consecutive wickets, Rubina Chhetri steadied Nepal’s innings, contributing 25 runs before being bowled by Ruchita. Asmina Karmacharya and Sangeeta Rai were dismissed for zero and 2 runs, respectively, while Roma Thapa remained unbeaten with 7 runs.

In the bowling department, Ikra Sahar took 3 wickets, while Ruchita claimed 2.

Nepal suffered a 27-run defeat in its first match against Tanzania on Wednesday in the women’s T20 series involving Hong Kong, Tanzania, Japan, and Nepal.

With one more league-stage match against Japan remaining on November 2, Nepal will play for third place in the tournament. The top two teams will compete for the title.