The Scotland women’s team has made history by qualifying for their first-ever ICC Women’s T20 World Cup event to be hosted in Bangladesh later this year. Scotland stunned Ireland by 8 wickets in the 1st semi-final of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier, Abu Dhabi. Below, let’s look at the journey of Scotland’s women’s team over the years leading up to the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024.
2018
On July 7, 2018, Scotland made a remarkable debut in T20 International cricket against Uganda at Amstelveen, clinching a convincing victory by 9 wickets. This debut match was a crucial fixture during the group stage of the 2018 ICC Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier. Rachel Hawkins, the skilled right-arm medium bowler, earned the title of Player of the Match for her exceptional bowling performance, with figures of 3/3.
Competing in group B alongside Ireland, Uganda, and Thailand; in the group stage, they displayed commendable form by securing victories in 2 matches while experiencing 1 defeat, accumulating a total of 4 points. This successful campaign propelled them into the semi-finals, where they unfortunately suffered a defeat against Bangladesh by a margin of 49 runs.
2019
With the 2019 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier taking place on their home soil, Scotland enjoyed a notable advantage. Positioned in group A alongside Bangladesh, Papua New Guinea, and the United States, their campaign held significant promise. Following victories against the United States and a loss to Papua New Guinea in the initial two group matches, their clash against Bangladesh was a crucial one, necessitating a must-win scenario. However, despite their efforts, they fell short by 13 runs (DLS), thereby missing out on a spot in the semi-finals.
Despite the setback, their captain Kathryn Bryce emerged as the standout performer, securing the title of top run-scorer at the tournament with an impressive tally of 168 runs.
2022
In the subsequent ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier held in the United Arab Emirates in 2022, Scotland experienced a déjà vu of their 2019 campaign, as they once again faltered in the crucial final group stage match, this time against Ireland, losing by 19 runs. This defeat resulted in their failure to qualify for the semi-finals. Placed in Group A alongside Bangladesh, Ireland, and the United States, Scotland struggled to find consistency, securing only one victory in the group stage.
2024
In 2024, Scotland rebounded strongly, winning three matches and suffering one defeat in the group stage, thereby securing a spot in the semi-finals. Placed in group A alongside Sri Lanka, Thailand, Uganda, and the United States, they displayed impressive form from the outset. In their opening match against Uganda, Rachel Slater’s exceptional performance, claiming five wickets, earned her the title of Player of the Match.
In the semi-final, they confronted their long-standing rival, Ireland. In a historic moment, Scotland secured qualification for the 2024 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh by defeating Ireland by 8 wickets. Throughout this journey, skipper Kathryn Bryce played a pivotal role, earning the Player of the Match accolade in the last two group stage matches as well as the semi-final.
As a result of their outstanding performance, Scotland is set to face Sri Lanka in the Final of the Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier.