ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier: Sri Lanka and Scotland Shine in Warm-up Matches

The ten teams vying for a spot in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 in Bangladesh participated in two warm-up matches on 21 and 23 April. Here’s a look at how each team performed ahead of the tournament’s commencement on 25 April.

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Group A: Sri Lanka, Thailand, Scotland, Uganda, USA

Sri Lanka, fresh from a successful series in South Africa, continued their impressive form. Despite the absence of skipper Chamari Athapaththu, top-order batters Vishmi Gunaratne and Hansima Karunaratne both scored 49 against the Netherlands. Inoka Ranaweera and Kavisha Dilhari then shone with the ball, leading to a comfortable 63-run victory.

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In their second match, 15-year-old prodigy Shashini Gimhani led the bowling attack with 3/12, helping to dismiss Vanuatu for just 58. Sri Lanka chased down the total in 8.2 overs, securing a nine-wicket victory.

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Thailand had a challenging warm-up phase, losing both their matches. Despite captain Naruemol Chaiwai’s resilient 39 against UAE, they could only manage 106/7. UAE comfortably chased down the target.

Thailand improved in their next match against the Netherlands. Suleeporn Laomi’s 3/14 restricted the Dutch to 115, and a spirited batting effort almost led to a victory. However, a late collapse resulted in a tie, with the Netherlands winning the Super Over.

Scotland emerged victorious in both their warm-up matches. They defeated Ireland by eight wickets, with Priyanaz Chaterji and Chloe Abel taking three wickets each. Sarah Bryce’s quickfire 34 ensured an easy win.

In their next match against Zimbabwe, aggressive half-centuries from Saskia Horley and Kathryn Bryce led Scotland to a strong 197/4. Despite Sharne Mayers’ century, Scotland secured another victory.

USA posted 124/4 in their first warm-up match against Zimbabwe, thanks to significant contributions from Anika Kolan and captain Sindhu Sriharsha. Despite Ritu Singh’s economical bowling, Zimbabwe chased down the target with six wickets in hand.

In their second match against Ireland, six USA batters reached double figures but failed to convert them into big scores. Ireland chased down USA’s total of 120 in the 16th over.

Uganda started their campaign with a victory over Vanuatu. Rita Musamali’s 35 led Uganda to 119/6. The Ugandan bowlers then restricted Vanuatu to a sub-100 total, securing a win for their team.

In their second warm-up against UAE, Uganda struggled, managing only 69/9 in their 20 overs. The bowlers also struggled, and UAE comfortably chased the target in 13.3 overs with nine wickets to spare.

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Group B Overview: Ireland, Zimbabwe, Netherlands, UAE, Vanuatu

Ireland had a tough start against Scotland. Only Laura Delany and Orla Prendergast made significant contributions, resulting in a total of 98. Despite Ava Canning’s economical bowling, Scotland secured a comfortable win.

In their second warm-up against the USA, Eimear Richardson and Cara Murray shone with the ball, restricting USA to 119/6. Amy Hunter and Rebecca Stokell’s crucial knocks ensured Ireland’s victory.

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Zimbabwe started their warm-ups with a win against USA. Lindokuhle Mabhero, Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano, and captain Josephine Nakai Nkomo all made significant contributions to the victory.

Despite losing their second match against Scotland, Sharne Mayers boosted morale with a century, scoring 102 at a strike-rate of 152.23.

The Netherlands lost their opening match against a strong Sri Lankan team. Eva Lynch was the pick of the bowlers with 2/32, but the Dutch could only manage 120/9 in response to Sri Lanka’s 183/4.

The Netherlands repeated a modest batting display against Thailand, but their bowlers fought back to secure a tie. They won the Super Over, with Babette De Leede and Heather Siegers leading the charge.

Vanuatu lost both their matches against Uganda and Sri Lanka. Despite a good bowling performance against Uganda, their chase fell short, and they finished at 84/4. Against Sri Lanka, they were bowled out for just 58 and lost by nine wickets.

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UAE, the tournament hosts, started confidently with a strong win over Thailand. Heena Hotchandani, Khushi Sharma, and Esha Oza led the bowling attack, restricting Thailand to 106/7. Oza’s 61* from 42 helped UAE secure the win with eight wickets to spare.

In their second match, UAE continued to impress against Uganda. A collective bowling performance restricted Uganda to 69/9. Theertha Satish and Khushi Sharma’s opening partnership of 58 ensured a comprehensive victory for the hosts with nine wickets to spare.