Outstanding Oza propels UAE to Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier final

Talented allround Esha Rohit Oza demonstrated why she was voted ICC’s Associate Women’s Cricket of the Year for 2022 when delivering a match-winning innings off 85 off 60 balls to power the UAE to a 57-run victory over Hong Kong China and a place in the ICC Women's T20 World Cup Qualifier Asia final.

Oza anchored a 120-run partnership with the exciting 20-year-old sensation Kavisha Kumari Egodage (42 not out off 46 balls) to help the UAE post a total of 141 for four in 20 overs.

Chaya Mughal, Suraksha Kotte and Oza shared the bowling honours as Hong Kong were dismissed for 84 in 16.5 overs. All three bowlers picked up two wickets each.

Bibi Maryam, essentially a bowler, offered some resistance with a knock of 34, as only two Hong Kong batswomen got into double figures. The other is opener Natasha Tara Miles (15).

The performance also enabled UAE to advance to the ICC Women's T20 World Cup Global Qualifier.

Oza, a student of Business Management at the University of Wollongong in Dubai, described the win over Hong Kong as one of the best-ever performances by the UAE.

Thailand were the other team to advance to the global qualifier, beating Nepal by 46 runs in the second semi-final.

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(Bibi Maryam 34; Chaya Mughal 2/11, Suraksha Kotte 2/11, Esha Rohit Oza 2/6)