On the final day of the group stage at the Hong Kong Women’s T20I Series, Nepal’s Sangita Rai registered figures of 5-6 to help bowl Japan out for 46 and Mariko Hill’s 66* powered a ten-wicket Hong Kong win after they were set a target of 107 by Tanzania.

Hong Kong, China vs Tanzania

After Tanzania won the toss and elected to bat in a dress rehearsal for Sunday’s final, Saum Mate got them off to a flying start. The left-hander smashed Iqra Sahar’s first three balls for four and looked set for a big score until she top edged Alison Siu into the hands of Hill. In spite of her dismissal, Tanzania was in a position of strength at 31 for one after the second over.

Hong Kong, however, fought back valiantly, taking the next four wickets for the addition of a mere 11 runs. After skipper Kary Chan took a catch to send back her opposite number Fatuma Kibasu, she trapped Monica Pascal in front for 2 and had Aisha Mohamed caught by Shanzeen Shahzad at deep square leg.

Tanzania recovered with a partnership of 34 for the sixth wicket before Maryam Bibi wrapped Perice Kamunya on the pads for 19. Kary came back to snare another two wickets at the death, finishing with figures of 4-16 as Neema Pius top-scored with an unbeaten 34 to push her side to 106 for nine.

In the second innings, Hill and Natasha Miles were careful in the first over before Miles cut Pius away for her first boundary. Mariko then drove Kamunya away for four through the covers before dispatching a full toss to the square leg fence. Miles favoured the cut shot again before Hill pulled out the sweep shot to nail three boundaries into the leg side fence.

She reached her fourth T20I fifty with a pull that was parried over the ropes by Sophia Jerome. Miles closed out the chase with a dab behind square as her and Hill celebrated the emphatic chase with a long embrace.

Brief Scores:

Hong Kong 107/0 in 14.2 Overs (Mariko 66*, Miles 34*) beat Tanzania 106/9 in 20 Overs (Pius 34*, Mtae 27, Kary Chan 4-16, Alison Siu 3-26) by 10 Wickets

Nepal vs Japan

Nepal started cautiously against Japan, not losing a wicket in their first five overs. Elena Kusuda-Nairn made the first breakthrough with an inswinger that castled Sita Rana Magar.

Puja Mahato nailed a sweep into the boundary before she perished LBW to Ayumi Fujikawa to leave Nepal in a tricky situation at 37 for two in the 11^th over.

Rubina Chhetry walked in at four to partner skipper Indu Barma and assumed the mantle of aggressor, slashing a boundary to the right of point before moving across her crease to score a pair of boundaries on the leg side. She was finally bowled for 38 by Kusuda-Nairn in the final over after she took her eyes off a wild attempted slog.

Kajal Shrestha chipped in with an unbeaten 15 off just seven balls to set Japan a target of 114.

Japan’s reply got off to the worst possible start when Akari Nishimura was trapped in front for a golden duck by Puja Mahato. The Nepalese seamer doubled her wicket tally with a sharp in dipper than bowled Hinase Goto. Ahilya Chandel was next to go, getting trapped from around the wicket by Ashmina Karmacharya to leave Japan in tatters at 6 for 3 in the sixth over.

Off-spinner Sangita Rai did not allow Japan to build any partnerships through the middle overs, disturbing the timber of Mai Yanagida, Seika Sumi and Ruan Kanai in her five-wicket spell.

Despite a pair of lusty boundaries from Meg Ogawa in her knock of 17, Japan never recovered from a rough powerplay, getting bowled out for 46 off the last ball of their 20^th over.

Brief Scores:

Nepal 113/4 in 20 Overs (Chhetry 38, Kusuda-Nairn 2-24) beat Japan 46/10 in 20 Overs (Ogawa 17, Sangita Rai 5-6) by 67 runs