Vanuatu, UAE and Thailand Secure Women’s T20 World Cup Global Qualifier Berths

Vanuatu Secures Women’s T20 World Cup East Asia-Pacific Qualifier Spot

Vanuatu emerged as the surprising champions of the Women’s T20 World Cup East Asia-Pacific Qualifier, securing the region’s lone spot at the Global Qualifier by defeating stronger opponents over a thrilling week.

Despite a late challenge from Papua New Guinea in their match against Indonesia, which was seen as an opportunity for Vanuatu to falter, the hosts held their composure, clinching a 21-run victory against Japan to finish the tournament unbeaten, according to ICC reports.

Selina Solman’s team owed their tournament victory largely to their exceptional bowling performance, successfully defending a total of 107 runs and finishing two points ahead of Papua New Guinea, the team that caused a stir by defeating them on the opening day.

Japan struggled to reach 86/9 against a formidable Vanuatu bowling effort, with four bowlers each claiming a pair of wickets. Rachel Andrew made her case for Player of the Tournament with figures of 2/13 from four overs, in addition to her contribution of 43 runs with the bat. Captain Solman (2/11), Vicky Mansale (2/15), and Vanessa Vira (2/19) also played pivotal roles. Vira, who was introduced to the team as a 16-year-old during the lead-up series against Japan, finished the tournament with the highest wicket tally at 11.

Vanuatu now joins Ireland, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates as the five confirmed teams for the Global Qualifier scheduled for early next year. One more team will advance from the Americas tournament, and two more will qualify from the Europe and Africa tournaments.

In another match at the Vanuatu Cricket Ground No.1, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea met with the knowledge that they needed not only to win against their opponents but also hoped for Vanuatu to stumble. However, with Vanuatu’s unbeaten run intact, Papua New Guinea secured second place with a comfortable 77-run victory.

Brenda Tau’s third T20I half-century provided a strong foundation for Papua New Guinea’s innings, and late hitting from Sibona Jimmy (21 off 17 balls) and Kaia Arua (28* from 15) propelled them to a total of 141/4, with 54 runs coming in the last five overs. Maria Corazon Wombaki’s 33 offered some resistance for Indonesia, but they fell well short in their response.

Earlier in the day, the Cook Islands achieved a victory in their chase of 89 against Fiji. Youngster Zamera Maeva, participating in her first international tournament, stole the show with a score of 41 and figures of 3/18. This win ensured that every team in the tournament would leave Port Vila with at least one victory.

The Cook Islands’ higher position in the table than Fiji and Samoa’s superior net run rate placed them in fifth place. Japan’s three wins in the tournament earned them a fourth-place finish, while Indonesia concluded the competition in third.

In the Asia Qualifier held in Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates and Thailand secured their spots in the T20WC Global Qualifier.

In the first semi-final, the United Arab Emirates defeated Hong Kong by 57 runs, with Esha Oza playing a key role with both bat and ball. UAE’s captain, Chaya Mughal, chose to bat first and her team posted a competitive total of 141/4, with Oza top-scoring with an impressive 85 off 50 balls. In response, Hong Kong struggled, losing nine players for single-digit scores.

In the second semi-final, Thailand defeated Nepal by 46 runs in a low-scoring contest. Nannapat Koncharoenkai led Thailand with an unbeaten 59, guiding her team to a total of 105/2. In reply, Nepal was bowled out for just 59 runs.

The final of the tournament will see UAE face Thailand in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday.-IANS