ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier: Warm-up Matches See Sri Lanka and Scotland Shine
With the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 in sight, ten teams battled it out in warm-up matches on 21 and 23 April. Here’s a look at how each team fared ahead of the tournament’s commencement on 25 April.
For more details on the upcoming qualifier, visit here.
Group A Overview: Sri Lanka, Thailand, Scotland, Uganda, USA
Sri Lanka continued their impressive form from their South Africa series, with top-order batsmen Vishmi Gunaratne and Hansima Karunaratne scoring 49 each against the Netherlands. Their bowlers also shone, leading to a comfortable 63-run victory.
15-year-old sensation Shashini Gimhani led the bowling charts in the next game against Vanuatu, helping Sri Lanka secure a nine-wicket win.
Spotlight on Shashini Gimhani: Sri Lanka’s Rising Teen Star
Thailand lost both their warm-up matches but showed promise. Despite their captain Naruemol Chaiwai’s resilient 39 against UAE, they fell short of the target. Their next match against the Netherlands was a close call, ending in a Super Over which the Dutch won.
Scotland emerged victorious in both their warm-up matches. They defeated Ireland comfortably, thanks to Priyanaz Chaterji and Chloe Abel’s impressive bowling. Their next match against Zimbabwe saw attacking fifties from Saskia Horley and Kathryn Bryce, leading to another win.
USA managed to score 124/4 in their first match against Zimbabwe, but couldn’t prevent a Zimbabwean victory. Their next match against Ireland saw a similar pattern, with the team failing to convert their starts into big scores.
Uganda started strong with a win against Vanuatu, but struggled in their second match against UAE, managing only 69/9 in their 20 overs.
Group B Overview: Ireland, Zimbabwe, Netherlands, UAE, Vanuatu
Ireland found the going tough against Scotland, but managed to pull off a win against the USA, thanks to Amy Hunter and Rebecca Stokell’s enterprising knocks.
Zimbabwe started their warm-ups with a win against USA, but lost their next match against Scotland despite Sharne Mayers’ century.
The Netherlands lost their opening match against Sri Lanka, but managed to tie their next match against Thailand, eventually winning the Super Over.
Vanuatu lost both their warm-up matches against Uganda and Sri Lanka, struggling to build momentum in their chases.
Tournament hosts UAE started confidently, winning both their matches against Thailand and Uganda with ease.