Ireland 130-1 (GH Lewis 65*, K McGill 1 for 16) beat Scotland 126-7 (SJ Bryce 49, L Maritz 3 for 4) by nine wickets
Scotland finished the T20I Quadrangular Series in second place after a nine-wicket defeat to Ireland in Deventer. Despite another strong start to their innings, a middle order collapse handed the initiative to the Irish, who avenged their defeat to the Scots last week to finish in third place after two wins and three losses.
Chasing 127 for victory, Ireland recovered from the loss of Rebecca Stokell (10) in the third over to canter to victory with 41 balls to spare. Gaby Lewis was in sparking form, hitting 12 fours in her 39-ball unbeaten 65, and with Kim Garth (47*) providing equally belligerent support, Scotland’s bowlers struggled to get into the game. Abbie Hogg bowled tidily on her T20I debut, but Katie McGill was the only one to end with a wicket.
Scotland’s innings had been a tale of two halves. Openers Sarah Bryce and Lorna Jack began confidently, Bryce sweeping for four off the first ball of the match before adding another in the second over. The captain dominated the scoring in the early stages of Scotland’s win over the Netherlands yesterday, and so it was again as she raced to 30 via back-to-back boundaries in the fifth. Jack, too, was finding her range as ten came from the sixth, and with Scotland at 55-0 and the pressure beginning to tell in Ireland’s fielding, Laura Delany’s side was in desperate need of a breakthrough.
It was the captain herself who provided it. As Jack (17) tried to work Delany’s fifth ball to leg she was trapped in front, and although Bryce and new batter Becky Glen took 13 from the ninth, the re-introduction of leg-spinner Celeste Raack brought the vital wicket as Bryce (49) skied one to Una Raymond-Hoey. Glen (15) and Ellen Watson (0) fell to Lara Maritz in successive balls, and with Priyanaz Chatterji (4) run out and Ruth Willis (1) bowled, Scotland had suddenly lost five for 17 in the space of five overs.
Katie McGill (12), Samantha Haggo (18*) and Megan McColl (4*) counter-attacked to take Scotland to 126-7. With Lewis and Garth in such determined form, however, it was never going to be enough.
Despite the defeats which book-ended their campaign it has nevertheless been an excellent tournament for Scotland, who go into the Global Qualifier with four victories over potential Semi-Final opponents behind them. All eyes now turn to the end of the month and the beginning of what will be one of the most open competitions in recent memory.
