KATHMANDU: What would have happened if Nepal had not suffered that heartbreaking two-run loss to the Netherlands? Similarly, consider what qualifying would look like if Scotland, currently top of the table, had not fallen just seven runs behind the same Dutch team that has already secured its place in the Super Six ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifiers.
At least Monday’s final Group B games wouldn’t be so complicated. It is currently not easy to determine which two teams among Scotland, Thailand and Nepal will join the Netherlands in the Super Six.
The Netherlands, who are advancing with the aim of playing in their first World Cup, secured their place in the Super Six with a match to spare by defeating Zimbabwe by 22 runs, adding to earlier wins against Nepal and Scotland.
However, although Zimbabwe have been eliminated, Scotland, Thailand and Nepal, who have played three matches each, still retain a chance of reaching the Super Six. Scotland and Thailand have already earned four points with two wins in three games. Nepal, with only two points from the same number of matches, aspires to reach the Super Six by leaving these two teams out.
Therefore, vice-captain Puja Mahato says the team is determined to win the match against Scotland on Monday morning at the TU Cricket Ground in Kirtipur at any cost.
“To achieve our goal, we must defeat Scotland by a significant margin. We are fully prepared to do exactly that,” says Mahato.
Scotland and Nepal comebacks
Both Nepal and Scotland started their campaigns in the ongoing tournament with defeats. Nepal suffered a comprehensive eight-wicket defeat against Thailand in their first match. Two days later, Scotland entered the tournament and suffered a narrow seven-run defeat to the Netherlands.
Following these results, the Netherlands strengthened their chances of entering the Super Six, while the pressure to win increased on Nepal and Scotland. Amidst this pressure, Nepal suffered a painful two-run defeat against the Netherlands. On the other hand, Scotland made a comeback in the tournament with a five-wicket victory over Zimbabwe.
On Saturday, Nepal recorded a magnificent six-wicket victory over the same Zimbabwe team, while Scotland also strengthened their prospects by defeating Thailand by five wickets. In this process, Nepal achieved a historic milestone by defeating a nation participating in a test for the first time, but the journey through the complex equation to reach the Super Six still remains.
National team celebrating with fans at the TU Cricket Ground after their six-wicket win. Photo courtesy: CAN
A simple victory against Scotland will not be enough for Nepal to secure a place in the Super Six. Nepal must defeat Scotland by a wide margin of at least 39 runs.
Furthermore, there is another condition: Holland must win their last match against Thailand. Only if both conditions are met will Nepal be able to be among the top three in the points table.
Currently, Scotland, who are second in the points table, have a net run rate of +1.575. Thailand, also with four points, has a net run rate of -0.286. However, Nepal’s net run rate is -0.328. Because of this large gap, a win of at least 39 runs is required to lift Nepal’s net run rate above that of Scotland.
Vice-captain Mahato admits that while achieving such a substantial victory is not impossible, it remains a huge challenge. However, she is very encouraged by the team’s recent performance against Zimbabwe.
“After defeating Pakistan at under-19 level and now Zimbabwe, we have gained the confidence and courage to believe that we can also defeat any other team,” he says.
the first meeting
This is the first time that Nepal and Scotland have faced each other at the senior level. However, Puja and Riya Sharma are preparing to step onto the field against Scotland for the second time. These two nations met on January 20 last year in Bangi, Sri Lanka, during a Group D match of the ICC Under-19 Women’s World Cup.
In that match, the Puja-led Nepal team was defeated by Scotland by one wicket. Puja had scored 27 runs off 43 balls with three boundaries and also took one wicket while bowling. With that victory, Scotland reached the Super Six. Nepal, which was playing in the World Cup for the first time, was eliminated from the group stage after that defeat.
Puja Mahato in action during the match against Zimbabwe where he played an unbeaten 52 run win. Photo courtesy: CAN
The pain of that defeat still lingers for Puja and Riya. For that reason, Nepal sees Monday’s match not only as a chance to make history, but also as a chance to exact revenge.
Head coach Harshal Patel stated that the victory was possible because the Nepalese team has shown some improvement compared to previous matches.
“There is a great chance of reaching the Super Six. While this largely depends on the outcome of the match against Scotland and the performance of other teams, we must quickly address our weaknesses and approach the next match with a fresh mindset,” added Patel.
