Suraksha Kotte took two wickets in two balls, and Indonesia’s first Asia Cup ended without a win

Suraksha Kotte’s first ball of the match had Maria Corazon caught behind. Her second had Ni Luh Dewi caught. Two balls into their last group game at the Women’s Asia Cup, Indonesia were 1 for 2, and the rest of the night in Dubai went the way that start suggested.

UAE won by six wickets with 41 balls to spare, which keeps them in the Group B argument and ends Indonesia’s first Asia Cup without a win.

Nanda Sakarini made 39 of her side’s 73

Indonesia were 22 for 3 at the end of the powerplay and 23 for 4 in the seventh over. Nanda Sakarini, their captain and wicketkeeper, then did most of the batting anyone did on Friday. Her 39 came off 52 balls with four fours and a six, and she was still there at drinks with the score 39 for 4, which is to say she had scored 32 of them.

She went lbw to Esha Oza in the 16th over with the total on 57. Indonesia added 16 more and were bowled out for 73 with two balls of the innings unused. Desi Wulandari’s 12 was the only other double-figure score in the innings.

UAE used six bowlers and five of them took wickets. Kotte’s 3 for 16 came with those two in the first over. Heena Hotchandani’s four overs cost six runs. Oza took 2 for 11.

Oza did both jobs

Chasing 74, UAE were 62 for 1 after ten overs and needed 12 more. Then Oza was bowled by Ni Ariani for 30, Rinitha Rajith was stumped for 22, and Hotchandani was bowled for a duck, which turned a stroll into three wickets for four runs. Sofia Velic took two of them.

Samaira Dharnidharka and Lavanya Keny knocked off the last nine without further drama. Oza took the player-of-the-match award for 30 with the bat and two wickets with the ball.

Indonesia came here with eleven players

Indonesia qualified for this tournament at the ACC Women’s Premier Cup in Malaysia in June, one of four sides to come through it alongside Hong Kong, Thailand and UAE. The ICC’s own write-up of their squad announcement noted that they got through that entire qualifying event with 11 playing members. Not eleven in the XI. Eleven, full stop.

Sakarini was their leading run-scorer in that campaign, and she has carried the batting here too. Three defeats in three is a hard first Asia Cup. The scorelines against Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and UAE were always going to be the least interesting thing about Indonesia being in it.

Bangladesh against UAE on Tuesday is the one that matters

Sri Lanka lead Group B with four points from two and a net run rate of 4.129, which is the sort of number that survives a bad night. They play Bangladesh on Sunday. Bangladesh have two points from one game, UAE two from two, and the two of them meet in Dubai on Tuesday.

UAE’s route from here is not complicated. They have to beat Bangladesh on Tuesday, and with a net run rate of minus 0.854 they cannot rely on finishing level on points with anyone. Two teams from the group go to the semi-finals, which are on 10 and 11 September, with the final on the 13th.

Stay across the Women’s Asia Cup in Dubai