Emotions run high for Bryce sisters after historic victory for Scotland

Emotions were running high for Scotland captain Kathryn Bryce after she played a starring role in helping her side qualify for their first ICC Women's T20 World Cup.

Scotland defeated fellow European side Ireland by eight wickets in the semi-finals of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup Qualifier event in Abu Dhabi on Sunday and in doing so joined Sri Lanka as one of two teams to earn a place at this year's main event in Bangladesh at the start of October.

It will be the first time Scotland has appeared at a Women's T20 World Cup and for Bryce will cap off years of toil and hard work after she came up agonisingly short in previous Qualifier campaigns in 2015, 2018, 2019 and 2022.

Bryce had just turned 18 when she played her first qualifier in 2015 in Thailand and Scotland narrowly missed out on a spot at the 2016 T20 World Cup when losing to Ireland in the semi-finals of that event.

Three further failed campaigns on and Bryce finally fulfilled her goal when she produced a Player of the Match performance in the semi-finals against Scotland's conquerors in 2015 and guided her side into this year's event in October.

"There have been so many people play before us and there was so many different people playing at that first qualifier we played at in Thailand," Bryce told Cricket Scotland after her four-wicket haul and unbeaten 35* against Ireland.

"We have had a couple of good Qualifiers, but when we have made it to the semi-finals (in 2015 and 2018) there has been not really much chance of us getting through.

"It has been a tough day or so thinking about it knowing you have the ability to get there as we have the squad to do it and it almost makes it a bit harder to keep the emotions in check and to get through."

The victory was extra special for Bryce who has played the majority of her international career alongside younger sister Sarah, with the duo unbeaten at the crease when Kathryn hit the winning runs off Ireland spinner Eimear Richardson in the 17th over of the cut-throat contest.

"It is crazy to think we had our first Qualifier back in 2015 for each of us and the first one for Scotland was in 2008," Sarah reflected.

"Scotland was created as a women's team in 2000 and here we are in 2024 finally having gotten over the line.

"And I think I saw on Twitter (X) that we are only the 12th women’s team to make it to the T20 World Cup it is just unbelievable.

"What a journey it has been. I feel so lucky to have done it alongside you as my sister. To experience a lot of lows and to finally have a crazy massive high."

While Scotland have achieved what they desired by earning a spot at this year's T20 World Cup, they can finish the Qualifier tournament on a high by defeating Sri Lanka in the final of the event on Tuesday.

Sri Lanka thrashed Scotland by 10 wickets during the group stages of the event and Kathryn knows her side must put the emotion of qualifying for the tournament later in the year behind them and finishing off the Qualifier in style.

"It is really special," Kathyrn said.

"It hasn't really sunk in yet, the emption hasn't really come in yet because out in the middle for so long batting and just trying to ignore what was at the end of the line and just making sure we kept going and kept focusing.

"To see everyone running on and all the messages we have received so far, I don’t really know how to put it into words right now."