UAE records a mammoth 184-runs win over Kuwait as Nepal outplays Thailand by 106 runs in the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier

Ajman. UAE’s Lavanya Keny’s unbeaten 99 and Rinitha Rajith’s unconquered 79 helped UAE post 211 for 2 in 20 overs. After restricting Kuwait to 27 for 8, they extended their winning run on the fourth day of the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2024 at the Seven District Sports Club in Ajman, UAE.

In the second match, Nepal, after posting 139 for 9 in 20 overs through Sana Praveen’s 53 runs, bowled out Thailand for 33 runs in 16 overs. Kusum Godar bagged three wickets for nine runs.

UAE’s whopping total of 211 for 2 in 20 overs was registered through opener Keny’s unbeaten 99 off 67 balls studded with 12 boundaries, and Rajith’s unconquered 79 off 36 balls with ten boundaries and three sixes. The pair put on an unbeaten 169 runs partnership for the third wicket.

Lavanya Keny and Rinitha Rajith’s unbeaten 169 runs partnership

UAE won the toss and elected to bat, but lost an early wicket. Emily Thomas was trapped leg before to Candice Dias to the fourth ball of the first over for a duck. Skipper Samaira Dharnidharka walked in and scored two successive boundaries off Dias’s last two deliveries. She gave a quick start hitting 24 runs with five boundaries when Ayesha Iqbal Pewekar got her caught by her skipper Zeefa Jilani in the seventh over.

Then in-form opener Rinitha Rajith joined opener Lavanya Keny. Rajith exhibited her usual aggressive batting style scoring three successive boundaries off Ameesha Ram Olacheri in the eighth over. She also hit Pewekar for a six and a boundary in the next over. By the half way mark, UAE were 93 for 2. Meanwhile, Keny too began to strike freely and hit Olacheri for two successive boundaries in the 12 over. Rajith reached her half century in 22 balls. Keny too reached her half century in 39 balls and raced past Rajith to 60 picking three boundaries off Pewekar. They recorded their 100 runs partnership in the 14th over.

UAE reached the 150 run mark in 15th overs. Keny bettered her score of an unbeaten 77 in the opening match against Kuwait during the 17th over. Off the last two overs, she needed 12 more runs to reach her century. Rajith hit Dias for a boundary and a six off successive balls in the 19th over. UAE reached the 200 run mark in the last over, but Keny fell short by one run to reach her century.

Kuwait began their chase on a bad note losing their star player and skipper Zeefa Jilani for a duck to the last ball of the first over from Dharnidharka. It also turned out to be a wicket-maiden over from Dharnidharka. So tight were the UAE bowlers that Kuwait could score only 21 runs in the first ten overs.

Keny struck to remove opener Candice Dias for 8 in the 11th over. Mehak Thakur clean bowled Eshanvi Mohan Singh for a duck. Dharnidharka then clean bowled Raelyn Maria D Souza for a duck and also caught Pewekar off Thakur for 11 to push Kuwait to 24 for 5 in 14 overs. Dharnidharka also caught Ziniya Afroz off Nandakumar for 1 in the 19th over.

In the last over Al Maseera Jahangir got Swatiba Kuldeepsinh Parmar and Olacheri stumped by wicketkeeper Emily Thomas to ensure UAE a huge win.

Nepal’s opener Sana Praveen cracks 53

In the second match, Nepal opted to bat and got off to a quick start. Openers Sana Praveen and Sabitri Dhami gave a steady start. In the first ten overs, they posted 64 runs. Praveen batted aggressively picking boundaries and reached her half century in 42 balls. The pair put on 88 runs in 13 overs before Dhami got out to Nattharika Thokoi for 28. Praveen too followed clean bowled by Kesinee Kaewjumphol for 53.

Nepal lost their in-form skipper Puja Mahato too to Kaewjumphol for 4 in the 16th over. This was followed by Jyotsnika Marasini getting run out for 7. Sony Pakhrin, who had hit three boundaries in her 19 runs, too got run out and Nepal slipped to 122 for 5 in 17 overs.

Alisha Kumari Yadav became the third player to get run out for 1. Thokoi struck twice in the 19th over by getting Seema KC out for a duck and Kusum Godar clean bowled for another duck. When Rachanna Kumari Chaudhary too got bowled by Koranit Suwanchonrathi in the last over, Nepal got restricted to 139 for 9 in 20 overs, From 81 for no loss, Nepal lost nine wickets for an addition of just 58 runs.

Nepal bowl out Thailand for 33 runs

Thailand’s chase began with opener Yanathip Takunsi getting run out to Riya Sharma for a duck off the fourth ball of the first over. Off the last ball of that over Mahato ran out opener Aphisara Suwanchonrathi too for a duck. Arrikan Phuengkho too followed falling to the second ball of the second over to Kusum Godar for a duck. The first three wickets fell with the score on just one run.

In the fifth over, Mahato cleaned bowled Phatthanan Phinkaeo for a duck. The score read 4 for 4 with all four runs coming off extras. The first run from a batter came in the sixth over when Thokoi got a double off Kusum Godar. Riya Sharma got Thokoi out for 5 and half the side was back for just 12 runs.

Sharma also picked Nepal’s sixth wicket by getting Sunisa Bongkodphongampai out for 5. Rachanna Kumari Chaudhary struck twice in the 11th over clean bowling Saithan Khanthachai for a duck and then getting Kewarin Saechao too out for the fifth duck of the innings.

Charukan Saema (5n.o)and Koranit Suwanchonrathi added 17 runs for the ninth wicket before Kusum Godar struck twice off successive balls clean bowling Suwanchonrathi for 6 and Kesinee Kaewjumphol for a duck to end Thailand’s innings in 16 overs.

Brief scores:

UAE bt Kuwait by 184 runs. UAE 211 for 2 in 20 overs (Lavanya Keny 99n.o, Samaira Dharnidharka 24, Rinitha Rajith 79n.o) Kuwait 27 for 8 in 20 overs (Samaira Dharnidharka 2 for 11, Al Maseera Jahangir 2 for 4, Mehak Thakur 2 for 1)
Player of the Match: Lavanya Keny

Nepal bt Thailand by 106 runs. Nepal 139 for 9 in 20 overs (Sana Praveen 53, Sabitri Dhami 28, Sony Pakhrin 19, Nattharika Thokoi 3 for 31, Kesinee Kaewjumphol 2 for 11) Thailand 33 in 16 overs (Kusum Godar 3 for 9, Riya Sharma 2 for 14, Rachanna Kumari Chaudhary 2 for 6)
Player of the match: Kusum Godar