USA Women Suffer Second Defeat In Clash With Scotland
Scotland’s captain, Kathryn Bryce, produced a memorable all-round performance, returning unbeaten for 57 with the bat and taking four for 17 with the ball spearheading her side to a comfortable win in the Group A clash against the USA in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier in Abu Dhabi on Monday afternoon.
Asked to bat first, Scotland encountered early jitters as they lost their openers Saskia Horley and Megan McColl inside the Powerplay, but it was the fourth-wicket partnership between Bryce and Ailsa Lister that steadied the ship for the team. The duo added 66 runs in just 39 deliveries to swing the momentum back into Scotland’s favor.
Lister’s knock of 34 (22) came to an end when she decided to step down the track against Aditiba Chudasama, only to be stumped by keeper Sindhu Sriharsha.
ICC Women’s Associate Player of the Decade, Bryce, held the innings together from her end, bringing up her ninth T20I fifty in 42 balls.
Her unbeaten knock of 57* along with Lorna Jack’s cameo of 20 (17) took Scotland to 149/6 in their 20 overs.
In the bowling department too, it was Bryce who made the headlines. Opening the bowling, she picked up a wicket from her first delivery, dismissing Gargi Bhogle without scoring.
She returned with her lethal inswingers in her second over and snared two more wickets – first rattling Disha Dhingra’s stumps and then trapping Sriharsha in the front. Both batters departed for ducks.
USA could only manage 26 runs for the loss of four wickets at the end of the Powerplay.
Leg-spinner Abtaha Maqsood was brought into the attack to dismantle the middle-order.
Maqsood dismissed Jessica Willathgamuwa (10) and Geetika Kodali (3) to reduce USA to 50/7.
Isani Vaghela and Jivana Aras combined to stop the flow of wickets and added 39 runs in 45 deliveries. Vaghela played a crucial hand of 30 off 26 balls before Chloe Abel dismissed her while Aras remained unbeaten on 24.
USA could only manage 105/8 in their 20 overs, falling short by 44 runs as they recorded their second loss in a row in the Qualifier.
Along with an unbeaten fifty, Bryce finished with career-best T20I bowling figures of 4/17 to earn the Player of the Match award.
Score in brief:
Scotland beat USA by 44 runs
Scotland 149 for 6, 20 overs (Kathryn Bryce 57 not out, Ailsa Lister 34; Isani Vaghela 2-17, Aditiba Chudasama 2-25)
USA 105 for 8, 20 overs (Isani Vaghela 30, Jivana Aras 24 not out; Kathryn Bryce 4-17, Abtaha Maqsood 2-16)
