Nepal’s women’s cricket team lost their opening match against Namibia by six wickets in the Women’s Day T20 International Series in Uganda. After scoring only 92 runs, Namibia successfully chased a revised target of 71 runs due to rain interruptions. The series follows a round-robin format involving teams from Uganda, Nepal, Namibia, and Hong Kong.
The Nepali women’s cricket team experienced a challenging debut in the Women’s Day Twenty20 International Series, facing a six-wicket defeat to Namibia under the Duckworth-Lewis method in Entebbe, Uganda. After winning the toss at Entebbe Cricket Oval, Nepal opted to bat first but was dismissed for a mere 92 runs in 20 overs. Following rain interruptions, Namibia was assigned a revised target of 71 runs in 15 overs and successfully completed this chase, scoring 72 runs for the loss of four wickets in 14.5 overs.
Namibia’s top scorer, Mekelaye Mwatile, secured 26 runs while Arrasta Diergaardt supported with an unbeaten 13 runs. For Nepal, notable performances in bowling came from Puja Mahato, Kabita Joshi, Indu Barma, and Ishwori Bist, each claiming one wicket. Nepal’s batting was led by opener Samjhana Khadka, who was the highest scorer with 18 runs off 11 balls, supplemented by Kabita Joshi’s 16 runs, and Ishwori Bist’s unbeaten 17 runs. Namibia’s bowlers excelled, with Wilk and Mekelaye Mwatile sharing six wickets between them, enhancing their team’s performance.
This match represented the inaugural contest between the women’s cricket teams from Nepal and Namibia, as well as the first international match for the Nepali women’s team outside of Asia. The T20 series adopts a double round-robin league format, involving hosts Uganda, Nepal, Namibia, and Hong Kong, with the leading teams progressing to the final. Notably, Uganda commenced their campaign successfully, defeating Hong Kong by chasing down their total of 75 runs.
Nepal is set to face Uganda in their next match on March 9, bringing them another opportunity to improve after this difficult start in the series.
The Nepali women’s cricket team faced a tough beginning in the Women’s Day T20 International Series, with a significant loss against Namibia. Despite some individual performances, their batting and bowling units need enhancement. As they prepare for their next match against Uganda, the team will aim to bounce back and perform better in this competitive series, which marks an important international milestone for Nepal’s women’s cricket.
Original Source: risingnepaldaily.com
