Thailand, Nepal, and the UAE win big on Opening Day
Malaysia v Thailand
A 69-run partnership for the 4th wicket between Thipatcha Putthawong (32 of 32 balls) and Sunida Chaturongrattana (28 not out off 24 balls) propelled Thailand to 133 for four wickets before Nanthita Boonsukham picked up five wickets to help bowl Malaysia out for 48 in 13.4 overs.
After winning the toss and choosing to bat, Thailand started cautiously before openers Banthida Leephatthana and Nannaphat Chaihan accelerated the scoring. At 43/1 in the seventh over, they had built a solid platform before Leephatthana and Chaihan were dismissed by Nur Dania and Malaysian skipper Elsa Hunter, respectively. With the dot ball pressure mounting, Aphisara Suwanchonrathi was run out with one delivery left in the tenth over. With Thailand at 49/3, Malaysia would have sensed an opportunity to cause an upset.
However, Thai captain Putthawong and Chaturongrattana had other ideas. By minimizing dot balls and scoring boundaries at regular intervals, they put Malaysia’s bowlers under pressure. Phannita Maya walked in at the fall of her captain’s wicket to contribute an unbeaten nine at a run-a-ball to close out the Thai innings.
In the second innings, Putthawong won the battle of the captains, dismissing her opposite number Elsa Hunter bowled off the first ball of Malaysia’s response. The Malaysians never recovered from the early loss of their best batter as Boonsukham scythed through a Malaysian line-up, where no batter managed to register a double-figure score.
Brief Scores:
Thailand beat Malaysia by 85 runs. Thailand 133/4 in 20 Overs; Malaysia 48 All Out in 13.4 Overs. Player of the Match: Nanthita Boonsukham
Nepal v Qatar
Shristi Jaisi scored an unbeaten 23 off 19 balls to push Nepal up to 117/3 before she picked up three wickets for five runs in her four-over spell to help bowl Qatar out for 38.
After winning the toss and choosing to bat, Nepal lost opener Kiran Kunwar in the first over to Saachi Dhadwal who took a return catch off her own bowling. In the final over of the Powerplay, Aleena Khan chipped in with the wicket of Anjali Bishowkarma who was caught by Fatima Saeed. Sanu Rajbanshi and Ashma Pulami Magar then rebuilt the innings with a 56-run partnership in ten overs. At the fall of Rajbnashi’s wicket, eventual Player-of-the-match Jaisi walked in to provide the finishing touches to Nepal’s innings.
In response, Qatar skipper Dhadwal would lead from the front yet again. Along with Shrutiben Rana, she put on 33 for the first wicket to give Qatar’s dug out reason to smile. However, when she chipped a catch back to Sneha Mahara, the wheels came off Qatar’s chase. They lost their last nine wickets for the addition of a mere five runs as Jaisi helped Nepal cruise to a 79-run win.
Brief Scores:
Nepal beat Qatar by 79 runs. Nepal 117 for 3 in 20 Overs; Qatar 38 All Out in 15.4 Overs. Player of the Match: Shristi Jaisi
UAE v Bhutan
UAE skipper Theertha Satish muscled a boundary-laden 94 to power the UAE to 202 before their bowlers restricted Bhutan to 42 for seven.
After winning the toss and choosing to bat, the UAE raced to 50 inside the first five overs, helped along by a portion of extras from Bhutan’s seamers. As she often does, left-handed Satish peppered the leg side boundary, as fellow opener Lavanya Keny held strong at the other end.
At 102 for no loss at the halfway mark of their innings, the UAE were eyeing a total in the region of 200. Satish and Keny were not to disappoint as they kept the run rate hovering around ten runs an over. Satish fell in the last over with the score on 185 before Keny closed out the innings with a pair of fours to get UAE past 200.
In the second innings, tall left-armer Mahika Gaur wasn’t feeling particularly charitable, bowling two maidens on the trot. Soon after Bhutan’s captain Ngawang Choden struck the first boundary of Bhutan’s chase, her opening partner Pema Yangchen was bowled by Siya Gokhale. Choden would follow her back to the dugout in the ninth over after she too was bowled by Samaira Dharnidharka.
The second half of Bhutan’s reply mirrored their first ten overs as they eventually fell 160 runs short of the UAE’s imposing total with Rishitha Rajith picking up two wickets in her two overs.
Brief Scores:
UAE beat Bhutan by 160 runs. UAE 202 for 1 in 20 Overs; Bhutan 42 for 7 in 20 Overs. Player of the Match: Theertha Satish