In the Women’s T20 World Cup Group A qualifier, Scotland faced a crushing defeat against Sri Lanka. The match took place in Abu Dhabi on 27 April 2024, and Sri Lanka emerged victorious by 10 wickets. Scotland batted first and only managed to score 94 runs in 18.1 overs, with Lorna Jack top-scoring with 24 runs and Kathryn Bryce contributing 22 runs.
Sri Lanka bowled exceptionally well, with Kavisha Dilhari taking 4 wickets for just 13 runs and Inoshi Priyadharshani taking 3 wickets for just 11 runs. In response, Sri Lanka easily chased down the target in just over nine innings without losing any wickets. Captain Chamari Athapaththu played a brilliant innings, scoring an impressive 59 runs off just 35 balls.
Scotland will now face United States and Thailand in their upcoming matches in Group A. Ireland, Zimbabwe, the Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, and Vanuatu make up Group B. The top two teams from each group will progress to the semi-finals, scheduled for May 5th, with the final taking place two days later. The finalists of the tournament will secure a spot in the Women’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh.
The defeat was a wake-up call for Scotland’s players as they had high expectations coming into this tournament after their impressive performance last year in South Africa where they finished fourth.
“It’s disappointing but we knew it was going to be tough,” said Scotland captain Rachel Drylands after the match.
“We need to learn from this loss and take it into our next game against United States.”
Scotland will have to regroup quickly if they want to avoid being eliminated from the tournament before it even gets started.
In conclusion, Scotland suffered a heavy defeat against Sri Lanka in their opening match of the Women’s T20 World Cup Group A qualifier held on April 27th in Abu Dhabi. They scored only 94 runs while Sri Lanka won by ten wickets after easily chasing down the target without losing any wickets.
The tournament is still young and there are many games left to play so Scotland needs to focus on improving their game if they want to have any chance of reaching the semi-finals and securing a spot at