Bhutan Beat Mongolia by 136 Runs — Tenjin Rabgey's Century Lights Up Bangi

Bhutan's innings could hardly have started worse. Rohit Limbu was caught off the second ball of the match without scoring. What followed was a partnership that decided the match. Tenjin Rabgey and Sonam Chophel batted together for more than 14 overs and added 149, and by the time Rabgey was bowled in the 19th over he had a hundred from 58 balls to his name.

Mongolia's reply had some fight in it, reaching 63 for 3 in the 11th over. Then the last seven wickets fell for four runs. Bhutan won by 136 runs.

At 0 for 1 after two balls, a lesser side might have gone into its shell. Rabgey and Chophel did the opposite. Between them they hit 22 fours and four sixes, and they did it without taking wild risks: neither was out until the stand had reached 149. Chophel was the more measured of the two, but his 58 from 39 balls would have been the innings of the day in most matches. Ten of his runs came in fours, and he was bowled by Luwsanzundui Erdenebulgan in the 15th over.

Then the bowlers took over. Karma Dorji struck with the first ball of the reply. Tashi Phuntsho took two. Sonam Yeshey's four overs cost eight runs for three wickets. Tashi Dorji, who had hit 14 from five balls at the end of the innings, finished the match with 4 for 15. Rabgey held two catches as well. It was the complete performance after the 66-run defeat by Bahrain on Tuesday.

There was more to Mongolia's day than the final score. Sodbileg Gantulga bowled Rabgey and Ranjung Mikyo Dorji, finishing with 2 for 21 from three overs, the best figures in Mongolia's attack. With the bat he made 23 from 19 balls, the top score of the innings. Gandemberel Ganbold, Mongolia's best batter against Kuwait, added 13 from 11 with three fours. At 63 for 3 after 10.4 overs, Mongolia had already gone well past their 42 against Kuwait.

The collapse that followed — seven wickets for four runs in just over four overs — is the part to work on. Five of those seven batters made a duck. Batting deeper and turning starts into innings is the lesson to take into the Thailand game.

Bhutan chose to bat in the morning at Bangi and were proved right. With 22 fours and four sixes, the outfield was quick for anyone timing the ball. When Bhutan's bowlers attacked the stumps, the pitch rewarded them: three of their ten wickets were bowled and one was lbw. Bhutan's 203 was well above anything Mongolia could chase on a surface that still gave the bowlers enough to work with.

A hundred from 58 balls, with 12 fours and four sixes, is a big innings in any T20 international. What makes it stand out is how it was built. Rabgey walked in with his side at 0 for 1 and stayed until the 19th over. He batted with Chophel for most of that time and then, at the death, pushed Bhutan past 200 before Gantulga bowled him with the score at 186.

He held two catches in the field as well, Erdenebulgan and Temuulen Amarmend, both off Yeshey. It was the kind of all-round day that teams build qualifying campaigns around.

CricIntel did not publish a preview for this match, so there is no prediction to review.

After nine matches in Qualifier A, Kuwait and Bahrain lead on six points each. Bhutan are third with four points from three games and a net run rate of +1.617, ahead of Qatar (two points from two). Mongolia, Myanmar and Thailand have no points yet.

Mongolia play Thailand on October 9 at Bayuemas Oval, a match both sides will see as their best chance yet of a first win. Bhutan don't play on October 9. Their next aim is to keep within reach of the two unbeaten sides at the top.