Scotland record comprehensive win over Thailand, reach semis

Scotland defeated Thailand by 27 runs to record their second win of the tournament, sealing their place in the semi-finals.

Winning the toss, Scotland elected to bat first. Scotland lost both their openers cheaply and were reduced to 24-3 in the 9^th over. From there, skipper Kathryn Bryce played a captain’s knock, top-scoring for her side with 39* off 42 balls and was supported by Becky Glen (28 off 22) on the other end. The two stabilized the innings with their 45-run stand, helping their team reach a competitive total of 97.

For Thailand, Nattaya Boochtham did the most damage, claiming three scalps while conceding only 16 runs. Ratanaporn Padunglerd and Wongpaka Liengprasert also took a wicket each.

In the second innings, Thailand faltered. Opener Nattaya Chantham (16 off 14) was only one of two batters to have a score in double digits. Wickets fell at regular intervals with wicket-keeper Nannapat Koncharoenkai providing some resistance in the middle-order, scoring a patient 22 from 34 deliveries.  However, a lack of support from her teammates meant that she was eventually dismissed and the team was bowled out for 70 runs, falling 27 runs short of the target.

Rachel Scholes ripped through the Thai top-order, finishing with the impressive figures of 4-10 from her four overs. Kathleen McGill took two wickets, while Bryce, Priyanaz Chatterji and Abtaha Maqsood chipped in with one wicket each to guide their team to victory.

By winning the match, Scotland have advanced to the semi-finals from Group A, where they will face-off against the table-toppers of Group B. The other team to qualify from Group A is Ireland, who will play against the runners-up from Group B. Uganda, who won one of their matches and Thailand, who remained winless, have now been eliminated from the World T20 Qualifiers.