Put to bat first, the Nepali innings collapsed for 38 runs in 20 overs. None of the Nepali players were able to score in double figures before lethal bowling by Chanida Sutthiruang, who snared five Nepali wickets giving just two runs, with three maidens, in her five overs. [break]
In reply, Thailand overcame the low target in 16 overs at loss of just three wickets, with nine over still remaining in the Thai innings. For the host, opener Pundarika Prathanmitr topscored with an unbeaten 18 off 46 balls.
Nepali skipper Rubina Chhetri removed another opener Nattakan Chantham (0) and Nattaya Boochatham (4) and Sita Magar ran Sornnarin Tippoch (0) out but Prathanmitr shared an unbroken 25-run fourth wicket partnership with Sirintra Saengsakaorat (5) to surpass a low winning total.
Nepal had a disastrous start, losing its opener Madhu Thapa for duck to Nattakan Chantham in the second ball of the innings. Roshani Bohara, who then came at the crease also soon perished scoring just one run off seven balls, becoming Shtthiruang´s first victim.
The Thai bowler continued to bowl with venom and went on to remove Sita Magar (7), Sarita Magar (0) and Nary Thapa (1) in quick successions leaving Nepal precariously placed at 18/5 inside 7.1 overs. Sita, who faced 19 balls, hit the only four of the Nepali innings.
Neera Rajopadhyay (2) ran herself out and skipper Rubina Chhtri (3) also could not do much to hold the Nepali innings together as she fell to Nattaya Boochatham.
Karun Bhandari scored four runs, Sonu Khadka three runs before Sutthiruang returned to pick her fifth wicket, catching Trishna Singh (3) off her own bowling. Mamata Thapa remained not out on 3.
This is Nepal´s first defeat in the tournament. Nepal had entered the last four as Group A winner, winning all its four group stage matches. With the loss, Nepal’s hope to qualify to the Women´s World T20 Qualifiers has suffered a massive setback.
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