Nepal Faces Tough Loss Against Namibia in Women’s Day Cup Opener

Nepal lost to Namibia in the first match of the Women’s Day Cup in Uganda, posting a low score of 92 runs. Key performances came from Samjhana Khadka, Puja Mahato, and Kabita Joshi. Namibia successfully chased down a revised target of 71 runs, led by Mekelanye Mwatile’s contributions. Nepal will continue their campaign with matches against Uganda and Hong Kong on March 9 and 10.

In their opening match of the Women’s Day Cup held in Uganda, Nepal succumbed to Namibia on Saturday. Meanwhile, Uganda secured a victory against Hong Kong in another fixture on the same day. Upon winning the toss, Nepal opted to bat first at the Entebbe Cricket Oval but could only muster a disappointing total of 92 runs. This match marked the inaugural encounter between the two teams in women’s cricket.

Key contributions to Nepal’s score came from opener Samjhana Khadka (18 runs from 11 balls), teenager Puja Mahato (13 runs from 20 balls), and Kabita Joshi (16 runs from 31 balls). Ishwari Bist, batting at ten, remained not out with 17 runs from 14 balls. The most challenging opponents for Nepal were Wilka Mwatile and Mekelanye Mwatile, each of whom took three wickets and were notably economical, conceding only 17 and 12 runs, respectively.

Nepal’s score, which included 15 extras, was difficult to defend, and complications arose after rain curtailed Namibia’s batting when their score was 39 for 1 in eight overs. The revised target was set to 71 runs in 15 overs, which Namibia successfully achieved with two balls to spare and six wickets in hand. Mekelanye Mwatile, who was instrumental in bowling, also emerged as Namibia’s top scorer with 26 runs off 35 balls. Jurriene Diergaardt capped the chase by scoring 13 runs off 7 deliveries.

For Nepal, Mahato, Joshi, skipper Indu Barma, and Bist each took one wicket, but these efforts were insufficient to secure victory. Prior to their departure for Uganda, both Barma and coach Manoj Katwal expressed optimism about winning the series. Despite this initial setback, Nepal retained hopes for success with five matches remaining in the tournament, which follows a double round-robin format. Nepal will next face Uganda and Hong Kong on March 9 and 10, respectively, before taking on Namibia again on March 12.

Nepal’s loss to Namibia in their opening match of the Women’s Day Cup sets a challenging tone for their series. Although they struggled with batting, posting only 92 runs, they have opportunities to rectify their performance in future matches. With upcoming contests against Uganda and Hong Kong, and the potential for redemption in a rematch with Namibia, Nepal remains in the hunt for series victory despite the earlier setback.

Original Source: kathmandupost.com