A brilliant innings with the bat by 18-year-old Ailsa Lister set Scotland up to comfortably defeat the UAE in their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Global Qualifier placings match on Friday in Abu Dhabi.
Defeat to Ireland in the final group match on Wednesday scuppered the team’s chances of making it to the big event in South Africa next year, but they dusted themselves down here at the Tolerance Oval as 172-4 played 87 all out.
The score batting first was the highest ever by Scotland in T20 internationals and player of the match Lister’s 60 from 44 balls was backed up by 51 from captain Kathryn Bryce and 31 not out by Sarah Bryce.
Opener Lister’s inning included seven 4s and one 6 while Kathryn Bryce was at the crease for 39 balls and hit seven 4s.
And Sarah Bryce finished the innings off nicely with her runs coming from 21 balls – including four 4s – while Saskia Horley should also take plaudits for 20 off 15 balls opening up to give things momentum.
In the second half of a match which saw Olivia Bell debut, she was among five Scotland bowlers who took wickets to secure the 85 run triumph.
Bell took 1-16 off three overs, Katie McGill took 2-6, Saskia Horley’s decent day continued with 1-9 and there were two wickets apiece for spinners Abtaha Maqsood and Katherine Fraser.
Priyanaz Chatterji also ran out Rithika Rajith with a direct hit while there was another run out too.
After the match, skipper Bryce said: “It was a brilliant performance by the team.
“Ailsa and Saskia showed good intent with the bat early on and Ailsa continued that after Saskia was out while Sarah played some nice shots at the end and we were really happy with our score.
“We were disappointed with the Ireland result, but we have bounced back positively here and now we want to take the momentum from this performance into Sunday.”
And player of the match Lister adds: “I am really chuffed with how it went.
“I feel like I have had a few starts in this tournament and not been able to convert them, but here I backed my skills and luckily it came off.
“It feels amazing to get my first T20 international half century and it was really good batting with the experienced players that are alongside me in this team.”
Scotland will now face one more match on Sunday to try to finish in fifth spot overall.
