Scotland through to semi-finals, UAE keep their hopes alive

Scotland have joined Sri Lanka and Ireland in the semi-finals line-up of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier in Abu Dhabi. The last spot is still up for grabs as Netherlands take on Ireland in the last group stage match under the lights at the Zayed Cricket Stadium on Friday night.

On Friday afternoon, captain Kathryn Bryce once again, led from the front with an unbeaten 63 to guide Scotland through to the semis against Thailand at Tolerance Oval.

At Zayed Cricket Stadium, Samaira Dharnidharka produced a sensational spell with the new ball to keep the UAE’s hopes of edging past Netherlands and joining Ireland as the second Group B semi-finalist alive. UAE beat Vanuatu by 70 runs in their all-important clash.

Thailand vs Scotland

Choosing to put scoreboard pressure on the opposition in a must-win encounter for both teams, Thailand made a solid start, with Nattaya Boochatham hitting two boundaries off Rachel Slater in the second over. Slater once again went for runs in the penultimate over of the Powerplay, this time being hit for three boundaries, but still came away with the prized scalp of Boochatham (13).

Thailand lost their openers on either side of the end of Powerplay with Abtaha Maqsood removing Nannapat Koncharoenkai in her first over. Scotland’s bowlers were tight with their lines and lengths and kept a leash on the scoring, while Thailand’s batters had no answer to the swing and pace of Hannah Rainey, who struck twice in two overs to further hamper Thailand’s progress.

Thailand ended up scoring only one more boundary after the Powerplay as Scotland proved miserly with their bowling, restricting them to 99/5 in their 20 overs.

Defending a relatively low target, Thailand sought early breakthroughs and Chanida Sutthiruang delivered just that, dismissing both openers within the Powerplay to put the pressure back on the opposition.

Scotland only managed two boundaries in the first six overs and finished on 23/2 with the required run-rate climbing close to run-a-ball.

At a critical juncture, the Bryce sisters stepped up, forging a crucial 46-run partnership in 40 deliveries. Sarah Bryce initiated the counterattack immediately after the Powerplay with a boundary and Kathryn Bryce followed suit, hitting consecutive fours in the subsequent over, alleviating the mounting pressure on the team.

The partnership continued to flourish with boundaries flowing steadily until Onnicha Kamchomphu halted their progress, claiming the wickets of Sarah Bryce and Ailsa Lister in quick succession. Skipper Kathryn, however, was relentless at the other end, and soon brought up her fifty with a four off 43 deliveries, helping Scotland close in on their victory.

Fittingly, it was Bryce who hit the winning runs as Scotland punched their tickets for the semi-final with six wickets and 13 balls to spare.

UAE vs Vanuatu

UAE needed a win to stay alive in the semi-final race and captain Esha Oza led by example after being put in to bat first. Oza began the innings ardently, hitting two boundaries in the opening over. She continued to find the fence regularly, racing to 29 runs off 20 balls within the Powerplay. Her innings was cut short by Rachel Andrew, who also dismissed Khushi Sharma in the same over.

Theertha Satish and Kavisha Egodage sought to rebuild, putting together a 31-run partnership but Vanessa Vira then struck to remove the latter, courtesy of a stunning single-handed catch from Andrew.

Vanuatu staged a strong comeback in the latter half of the innings, claiming wickets frequently. Nasimana Navaika played a pivotal role, taking three wickets in her final two overs to revive Vanuatu’s chances in the game. Theertha top-scored for UAE with 44 as they set a target of 134 for Vanuatu.

In response, Vanuatu were rocked early by a brilliant spell by Samaira Dharnidharka, who claimed four early wickets to put UAE on top. Khushi added to the pressure with a wicket of her own, leaving Vanuatu reeling at 16 runs for the loss of five wickets within just seven overs.

With boundaries becoming scarce, UAE continued to chip away at the wickets, with Heena Hotchandani and captain Oza getting in on the act. Struggling at 37/8, Vanuatu’s Gillian Chilia and Vanessa Vira staged a resilient partnership, remaining unbeaten and adding 26 runs to the total without losing further wickets, they closed their innings at 63/8 after 20 overs.

UAE’s comprehensive 70-run victory significantly boosted their net run rate from 0 to +0.976, and levelled them on points with the Netherlands.

The Dutch team holds a net run rate of +1.117 and must either win their upcoming match against Ireland or maintain their net run rate above UAE’s to secure a spot in the semi-finals.

Scores in brief:

Match 17:

Scotland beat Thailand by six wickets

Thailand 99 for 5, 20 overs (Naruemol Chaiwai 36 not out, Nattaya Boochatham 13; Hannah Rainey 2-12, Abtaha Maqsood 2-15)

Scotland 100 for 4, 17.5 overs (Kathryn Bryce 63 not out; Chanida Sutthiruang 2-18, Onnicha Kamchomphu 2-33)

Player of the Match – Kathryn Bryce

Match 18:

UAE beat Vanuatu by 70 runs

UAE 133 for 7, 20 overs (Theertha Satish 44, Esha Oza 29; Nasimana Navaika 3-21, Rachel Andrew 2-17)

Vanuatu 63 for 8, 20 overs (Gillian Chilia 21, Selina Solman 10; Samaira Dharnidharka 4-12, Heena Hotchandani 2-10)

Player of the Match – Samaira Dharnidharka