However, Hong Kong chased 131-run target in 14.5 overs and qualified for the semifinals as well as the Twenty20 World Cup Qualifiers. [break]
Nepal still has a fair chance to qualify. It will reach the last four if Saudi Arabia beat the UAE or make the match a close-contest. To qualify, the UAE has to win the match by around 65 to 75 runs or chase the target within 11 to 12 overs.
In the points table, Hong Kong leads with six points, equal to Nepal, but with the advantage of better net run rate over Nepal. Nepal is second with six points. The UAE has four points and a match in hand.
Kuwait has two points and Saudi Arabia is at the bottom without any win.
Easy victory for Hong Kong
On the TU Cricket Ground, Kuwait elected to bat first and put up 130/9 in 20 overs. Mohammed Asghar scored 34 runs off 22 balls hitting two boundaries and three sixes.
Azmatullah Nazeer added 28 runs off 29 balls. Munir Dar, Nadeem Ahmed, Irfan Ahmed and Nizakat Khan took two wickets each for Hong Kong.
Hong Kong met the modest total in 14.5 overs as Kuwait gave ordinary performance in bowling and fielding. Jamie Atkinson scored unbeaten 41 runs off 29 balls hitting five boundaries. Man-of-the-match Munir Dar added 39 runs off 29 balls as he struck two boundaries and four sixes to guide Hong Kong to the semifinal.
Malaysia keep semis hope alive
Malaysia defeated Bhutan by 112 runs in a group ´B´ match on Wednesday in the ACC Twenty20 Cup to keep their semifinal hope alive.
Malaysia elected to bat first at the Engineering Campus Ground, Lalitpur and put up 191/6 in 20 overs. Man-of-the-match Hammad Ullah Khan completed his half-century as he scored 51 runs off 28 balls. Khan struck nine boundaries.
Suharril Fetri scored 49 runs off 30 balls while Suhan Kumar struck 31 runs off 22 balls and Suresh Navaratnam added 27 runs off 19 balls. Sonam Tobgay took two wickets while Tandin Wangchuk, Phuntsho Wangdi, Suprit Pradhan and Dampo Dorji claimed a wicket each.
Chasing a big total, Bhutan was all out for 79 runs in 19.2 overs. Kumar Subba (18 runs off 28 balls) and Thinley Jamtsho (16 runs off 13 balls) were major contributors for Bhutan. Norwira Zazmie took three wickets while Abdul Rashid claimed a wicket for Malaysia.
Malaysia has four points from four matches and remains on the third position. Oman, which will take on Maldives on Thursday in the last group stage match, also has four points and second position with superior net run rates. Malaysia has chance of qualifying only if Oman loss Thursday´s match by huge margin. Maldives has two points from three matches while Bhutan is at the bottom without any win.
Afghanistan is on the top of the group table with eight points from four matches as it thrashed Maldives by 62 runs.
At the Engineering Campus Ground, Maldives invited Afghanistan to bat first. Afghanistan put up 157/8 as Shabir Noori scored 76 runs off 50 balls. Man-of-the-match Noori struck nine boundaries and two sixes. Karim Sadiq scored 26 runs off 22 balls. Ahmed Faiz took three wickets while Moosa Kaleem and Mohammed Mahfooz claimed two wickets apiece.
Maldives was all out for 95 runs in 18.2 overs. Moosa Kaleem scored 45 runs off 35 balls as he struck seven boundaries and two sixes but could not take the match close. Mohotte Jayakody (19 runs off 21 balls) and Jilwaz Rasheed (15 runs off 18 balls) were the other major contributors for Maldives. Mohammad Nabi sent four Maldivian batsmen to pavilion while Nawroz Mangal took three wickets.
Related story
West defeats Central Region to keep semifinals hope alive
-1779178226.webp)
