Scotland have qualified for the Women’s T20 World Cup for the first time after beating Ireland in the battle for a spot at the tournament proper in Bangladesh this October.
The top two sides in the qualifying tournament in the UAE reach the 10-team main event in the autumn, joining England, Australia, India, Pakistan, South Africa, New Zealand, West Indies and Bangladesh.
Scotland have snatched the first of those remaining spots after defeating Ireland by eight wickets in the semi-finals thanks to a superb all-round display from skipper Kathryn Bryce.
Bryce took 4-8 from four overs, including the wickets of Amy Hunter and Gaby Lewis for ducks in the first over of the game and opposing captain Laura Delany for two in the fifth, as Ireland slumped to 47-6 before Leah Paul (45) and Arlene Lelly (45) propelled their side to 110-9 with a stand of 60.
But that total proved insufficient as Bryce struck an unbeaten 35 from 29 balls after opener Megan McColl had hit 50 from 47, with Scotland reaching their target in 16.2 overs to qualify for their first World Cup in either the 20-over or 50-over format.
Ireland, who won each of their four matches in the group stage, have missed out on a fifth appearance at the T20 World Cup.
Sri Lanka and UAE will contest the second semi-final on Sunday afternoon with the winners to join Scotland in Bangladesh later this year.
The main tournament begins on October 3 with England taking on South Africa in the opening match before hosts Bangladesh tackle one of the qualifiers later the same day.
The entire competition will be broadcast live on Sky Sports as Australia look to claim the title for the third time in a row and England target a first victory since the inaugural edition in 2009.
Women’s T20 World Cup groups
- Group A: Australia, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Qualifier 1
- Group B: South Africa, England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Qualifier 2
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