Bahrain will play hosts Thailand today in the first semi-final of the inaugural 2023 Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Men’s Challenger Cup at the AIT cricket ground in Bangkok.
The kingdom’s team are unbeaten so far in the tournament, after winning all three of their Group A matches and topping the four-team group with six points.
Bahrain started off in fine style, hammering Bhutan by seven wickets in their opening match last week, before obliterating the Maldives in a massive 292-run win in their second game with Shahbaz Badar becoming the first Bahraini batsman to score an ODI century.
They, then, vanquished Iran by 10 wickets last Tuesday after bundling them out for a paltry 46.
Thailand, who finished second in Group B with four points, started their tournament off in similar fashion as they galloped to a gigantic 272-run victory over Myanmar in their opening game.
They, then, ran into a rampant Saudi Arabia, who bowled them out for only 80 before chasing the small target down for the loss of only one wicket to register a comprehensive nine-wicket win.
But the hosts recovered well in their crucial last league game against Indonesia, winning by four wickets after dismissing their opponents for 125.
Meanwhile Saudi Arabia, who topped Group B after winning all their three games, will play Bhutan, the second-placed team in Group A, in the other semi-final at the Terdthai Cricket Ground.
The two teams who qualify for Sunday’s final will head to the ACC Men’s Premier Cup, which is the qualification pathway to the ACC Men’s Asia Cup in September.
The two Challenger Cup finalists will join Kuwait, Qatar, Nepal, the UAE, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Oman and Singapore in the Premier Cup.
The winners of the Premier Cup will qualify for the Asia Cup.
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