Nepal triumphed over China by 19 runs in their opening match of the women’s cricket qualifiers for the Asian Games. Nepal’s Pooja Mahto played a pivotal innings, scoring a crucial half-century of 63 runs. Riya Sharma took two wickets, while three other bowlers claimed one wicket each. Kathmandu, 13 Jestha.
Chasing a target of 126 runs set by Nepal, China managed only 106 runs for the loss of 5 wickets in 20 overs. Captain Zhu Mingge was the top scorer with 30 runs. Wan Hui contributed 21 runs, Wei Haiting added 18, and Li Jiapin scored 15 runs. When captain Zhu was dismissed at 90/2 in 15.5 overs, China appeared well placed, but following her dismissal by Manisha Upadhyay, the run rate slowed considerably.
For Nepal, Riya Sharma took two wickets, while Kavita Kunwar, Manisha Upadhyay, and Pooja Mahto each took one. After winning the toss, Nepal chose to bat first at the Bayu Mass Oval in Malaysia, posting 125 runs for 5 wickets in 20 overs. Pooja Mahto scored 63 runs off 57 balls, including six fours. Ruby Poddar remained unbeaten on 22, and Soni Pakhrin contributed 18 runs. Kavita Kunwar added 5 runs, while Samjhana Khadka and Rubina Kshetri scored 4 runs each. For China, Ma Ruike took 2 wickets, with Wan Hui and Li Jiapin taking one wicket apiece. Nepal will next face Indonesia in the tournament tomorrow.
