Unbeaten fifties from Sterre Kalis and Phebe Molkenboer guide the Netherlands to a 10-wicket win over Nepal

In match no. 7 of the ongoing Nepal Women’s T20 Tri-Series, the Netherlands cruised to a dominant 10-wicket victory over Nepal. With this emphatic win, the Dutch are still in contention to win the Tri-series with a game to follow but hosts Nepal are now out of the race with 5 consecutive losses.

Unbeaten fifties from Sterre Kalis and Phebe Molkenboer guide the Netherlands to a 10-wicket win over Nepal
Unbeaten fifties from Sterre Kalis and Phebe Molkenboer guide the Netherlands to a 10-wicket win over Nepal

Nepal won the toss and elected to bat first. Having decided to put runs on the board, the hosts lost both their openers in quick succession. Both batters were caught behind the stumps off the deliveries of right-arm pacer Iris Zwilling.

Skipper Indu Barma (39 off 37) and Puja Mahato (62* off 51) stabilised the innings and put up a 78-run stand by the end of 13th over. A handy performance from Rubina Chhetry (20 off 17) helped her team to set up a competitive total of 145 runs for the loss of 4 wickets. Iris Zwilling picked up two scalps, while Caroline de Lange and Heather Siegers shared a wicket apiece.

The run chase turned out to be a walk in the park for Netherlands as opener Sterre Kalis led the charge with blistering shots around the park. Blessed with a strong technique against spin and pace, Kalis took the bowlers to the cleaners in her innings of 98* from 69 deliveries. She hit 11 fours and 2 sixes while giving no chance for the opposition to make in-roads.

Nepal deployed 7 bowlers, but none managed to break through the innings. From the other end, Phebe Molkenboer anchored the innings with a run-a-ball knock of 48* runs. The Dutch crossed the finish line with a stylish six, with two balls to spare, and knocked off Nepal from the tournament. Phebe Molkenboer missed out on a well-deserved fifty but was awarded with the Player of the match award.

Also Read:  Who is Sterre Kalis | Bio | Stats | Netherlands Player

It comes down to the last two games of the series with a cut-throat competition between Thailand and Netherlands. The Net run-rate has come into play for the Dutch, while Thailand needs to win one of the two matches to seal the top spot and take the trophy home.

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