Nepal sets up semifinal against Thailand

Nary Thapa claimed three wickets and scored an unbeaten 23 runs to help Nepal beat Hong Kong by six wickets

KATHMANDU, Jan 28: All all-round performance from Nary Thapa helped Nepal seal a six-wicket victory over Hong Kong in the ACC Women´s Championship on Monday.



The win helped Nepal finish on top of Pool A above Hong Kong. Nepal will take on Pool B runner-up Thailand in the semifinal on Wednesday while Pool B winner China will take on Hong Kong.[break]



Nepal elected to field and bundled out Hong Kong for 54 runs in 21.4 overs as player-of-the-match Thapa claimed three wickets. Thapa then rescued Nepal from a shaky 6/3 during the run chase with an unbeaten 23 runs off 35 balls and guided Nepal to 55/4 in 18 overs.



Hong Kong openers Yip Sze Wan (14 runs off 44 balls) and Chan Ka Ying (12 runs off 23 balls) put up a 23-run partnership, the highest of the innings. However, Hong Kong´s batting order collapsed after Ying´s dismissal as none of the other batswomen could reach double figures.



Sarita Magar was the pick of the Nepali bowlers as she claimed four wickets in the middle while Karuna Bhandari dismissed three tail-enders.



Nepal also had a nervous start to its run chase as openers Madhu Thapa and Sita Magar were dismissed without scoring a run. Mariko Hill bowled Thapa while Magar was run out. Nepal was teetering at 6/3 in 3.1 overs when Yip Sze Wan caught Roshani Bohara (1 run) off Ishitaa Gidwani´s bowling.



However, Sarita Magar and Nary Thapa anchored the Nepali innings with a 33-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Magar scored 14 runs off 43 balls before Tam Shun bowled her in the fifth ball of the 15th over.



Thapa remained unbeaten on 23 runs off 35 balls with three boundaries. Nepali captain Rubina Chhetry also remained not out on 7 runs off 14 balls putting up an unbeaten 16-run partnership with Thapa.



Meanwhile, China beat Thailand by 47 runs to top Pool B. China was all out for 118 runs in 25 overs and then bundled out Thailand for 71 runs in 19 overs.



The final of the tournament will be played on Thursday. The winner of the tournament will progress to the Women´s World T20 Qualifiers to be held in Ireland in August.

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