An all-round performance by Sita Rana Magar inspired Nepal to a comprehensive eight-wicket victory over Bhutan in the ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Region Qualifiers as they pulled first win after second match at the ICC Academy Ground No 2 in Dubai on Tuesday.
Rana Magar claimed three wickets before scoring 17 runs in their run chase. The 30-year-old was also named the player-of-the-match.
Choosing to bat first, Bhutan were restricted to a paltry total of 61-6 before Nepal made 64-2 in 8.3 overs with Kabita Joshi hitting the winning four.
Bhutan's opener and wicketkeeper batter Sonam Paldon and Ngawang Choden were the only players to score double digit figures for the team. Paldon scored 11 off 29 in her sluggish innings. She was caught by Rana Magar of Saraswati Kumari Chaudhary. Choden, the highest scorer of Bhutan innings, scored 13 off 31 in her slow innings. She was bowled by Rana Magar.
Rana Magar gave away 10 runs in her four-over spell while Karuna Bhandari picked one wicket conceding six runs.
In the run chase, openers Rana Magar scored 17 runs and Indu Barma unbeaten 18 runs. The duo shared a 37-run partnership for the first wicket before Rana Magar was caught by captain Yashey Choden off Tashi Cheki in the second delivery of the fifth over. She hit two boundaries.
Barma, the highest scorer of the match, faced 24 deliveries. Captain Rubina Chhetry collected 10 runs before she was run out. Kabita Joshi remained not out on eight runs facing two deliveries. She hit Cheki for successive boundaries in the second and third balls of the ninth over.
No other Bhutan bowlers apart from Cheki claimed a wicket.
Nepal, who had lost their opening match against Hong Kong by six wickets on Monday, will vie with Kuwait in their next match on Thursday, Malaysia on Friday before wrapping up their campaign against UAE on Sunday.
The Qualifiers feature six teams including hosts UAE, Malaysia apart from Nepal, Bhutan, Kuwait and Hong Kong. The team finishing on top of the standings after round robin league will qualify for the final phase of qualifiers next year.
Hosts UAE lead the standings with four points from two matches while Nepal, Hong Kong and Bhutan have two points each after playing equal two matches. Nepal are second on the basis of net run rate, Hong Kong are third and Bhutan fourth. Malaysia and Kuwait, who have played one match each, are pointless.
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