KATHMANDU, July 14: Captain Sony Pakhrin produced a match-winning all-round display as Nepal crushed Hong Kong by 181 runs on Tuesday to complete a clean sweep of the group stage and storm into the quarterfinals of the ACC U-19 Women's Premier Cup as Group D champions.
The emphatic victory marked Nepal's third consecutive win in the tournament, underlining their title credentials.
Defending a formidable total of 211, Nepal's bowlers dismantled Hong Kong, restricting them to just 39/9 in 20 overs. Wong Wing top-scored with 13 runs, while no other Hong Kong batter managed to reach double figures.
Nepal secures place in semi-finals of ACC U19 Premier Cup
Pakhrin starred with the ball as well, returning outstanding figures of 4-4 from her four-over spell. Manisha Upadhyay claimed two wickets, while Krishma Gurung and Sneha Mahara picked up one each as Nepal recorded their most dominant win of the tournament.
Earlier, after being put in to bat, Nepal recovered from an early setback to pile up an imposing 211/6.
Opener Sana Prabin departed for just four, but Sabitri Dhami and Pakhrin steadied the innings with a superb 136-run stand for the second wicket.
Dhami continued her remarkable form, scoring 52 off 36 balls with six boundaries to register her third successive half-century, having also struck fifties against Qatar and Singapore.
Pakhrin narrowly missed a deserved century, hammering 90 off just 60 balls, including 13 fours and a six. Alisha Kumari Yadav then provided the finishing touches with an unbeaten 23 off 12 deliveries, powering Nepal past the 200-run mark.
For Hong Kong, Nimbra Arab took two wickets, while Arooj Fatima and Wong Wing claimed one each.
Nepal had earlier defeated Qatar by 105 runs and Singapore by 151 runs. Riding the momentum of three commanding victories, the unbeaten side now heads into the quarterfinals full of confidence as it continues its quest for the ACC U-19 Women's Premier Cup title.
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