Kathmandu - Nepal Women U19 captain Sony Pakhrin said the team’s top-order failure proved costly after their Super Over defeat against UAE Women U19 in the ACC Women’s U19 Premier Cup semi-final on Friday.
Nepal were chasing 101 for a place in the final but were bowled out for 100, forcing the match into a Super Over at the Bayuemas Oval in Kuala Lumpur. UAE then chased Nepal's six-run Super Over target in just three balls to reach the final.
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Sony admitted Nepal did not bat the way they had planned.
"I think our top order didn't bat the way we wanted to, and it kind of cost us the whole match," Sony said.
Nepal had been unbeaten throughout the tournament before the semi-final, winning all three group-stage matches and then beating Japan by nine wickets in the quarter-final. But against UAE, the chase never fully settled after early wickets.
Sabitri Dhami, Sana Praveen and Sony herself could not convert starts, leaving Nepal under pressure in a low-scoring contest. Anu Kadayat's 20 and Alisha Yadav’s late contribution helped Nepal tie the game, but the Super Over went UAE's way.
Sony said the players were excited heading into the Super Over, with many experiencing that situation for the first time.
"We were pretty excited for the Super Over because I think for many of us it was the first time playing in a Super Over," she said. “We wanted to stick to our plans, but it didn't go our way.”
The result ended Nepal's hopes of reaching the Premier Cup final, but their run to the semi-finals had already secured qualification for the ACC Women’s U19 Asia Cup.
Sony also thanked Nepali supporters after the defeat.
"It's a disappointment for us. We wanted to be there in the final, but keep supporting," she said.
Nepal will now play Indonesia in the third-place match, while UAE will face Thailand in the final.
