CAMBODIA OFF TO WINNING START IN AAC MEN’S T20 CHALLENGER CUP
January 27, 2024
MYANMAR BEAT CHINA BY ONE WICKET IN ACC MEN’S T20 CHALLENGER CUP
January 29, 2024

Cambodia have qualified for Group A of the ACC Men’s T20 Challenger Cup after beating China by 93 runs to follow yesterday’s victory against Myanmar. Cambodia finished top of the qualifying group but China could be pleased with their first 10 overs with the ball when they restricted Cambodia to just 30 runs.

Cambodia won the toss and elected to bat first against China in the qualifier of the ACC Men’s T20 Challenger Cup at TCG in Bangkok. Cambodia who had beaten Myanmar by seven wickets needed another win today to secure a place in the main competition.

China started brilliantly with the new ball as the Cambodian openers were barely able to lay a bat on the swinging ball. They managed 7 runs in 5 overs before Ram Sharan broke the shackles with a six over long off.

China took their first wicket in the seventh over when Manish Sharma was dismissed for 0 from 16 balls as he batted throughout the powerplay without being able to score a run.

Cambodia only scored 30 runs from the first half of their innings and they lost their star batsman Logman Butt soon afterwards but Cambodia recovered strongly to reach 130 for 5 in 20 overs.

Lakshit Gupta hit 27 from 12 balls and Etienne Beukes 33 from 25 before Sharwan Godara made 21 from 8 to complete a strong recovery with exactly 100 runs coming from the last 10 overs.

China had started well with the ball but their batsmen now faced a stiff challenge and they lost a wicket second ball as Zhuang Zelin was lbw and Sharwan Godara twice hit the stumps to take 3 for 4 in his opening spell. Ghulam Murtaza also hit the stumps as China were 12 for 4 after the powerplay.

China’s batters were unable to reach double figures with the exception of captain Wei Guolei who hit a six in his innings of 14. China were bowled out for a total of just 37 in 15.2 overs as Cambodia won by 93 runs.

Player of the match was Sharwan Godara who took 4 for 5 to add to his 21* from 8 balls. Cambodia will play stronger sides later in the tournament but China will face a more event contest against Myanmar.