Sri Lanka, Ireland book semi-final spots at the Women's T20 World Cup Qualifier; Netherlands, Thailand reel off wins

ICC Women's T20 World Cup Qualifier 2024 Standings

Vishmi Gunaratne and the Sri Lankan spinners were the stars in their massive win over Uganda at the Sheikh Zayed stadium in Abu Dhabi in the Group A game of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier 2024. With the win, Sri Lanka have booked a spot in the semi-finals of the tournament.

Meanwhile, at the Tolerance Oval, Netherlands denied Zimbabwe in the run-chase in a closely-fought contest to complete their second win in Group B. 

Ireland, on the other hand, booked a semi-final spot in Group B with a dominant win over Vanuatu as the openers Gaby Lewis and Amy Hunter once again made merry. 

Thailand thumped USA with a clinical bowling performance and completed their second win in the tournament. Thipatcha Putthawong starred for them with a four-wicket haul.

Vanuatu 88/9 (20) lost to Ireland 89/1 (12.3)

Toss: Ireland elect to bowl first

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Ireland produced another impressive performance to book their place in the semi-finals of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier 2024. 

Bowling first against Vanuatu, Ireland were ruthless with the ball as Eimear Richardson, Arlene Kelly and Laura Delany combined to take seven of the nine wickets to fall.

It was Ava Canning, though, who began proceedings with the ball for ireland, cleaning up Rachel Andrew for seven in the third over.

Valenta Langiatu and Nasimana Navaika combined in a promising stand that saw Vanuatu go past the fifty-run mark with just one wicket lost. However, things unravelled quickly once the partnership was broken by Arlene Kelly in the 12th over.

Langiatu fell for 27 off 31 balls, cleaned up by Kelly and Navaika followed suit in the next over, trapped in front by Richardson for 19.

Wickets fell at regular intervals as Vanuatu struggled to put together a fightback. From 53/1 in 10 overs, they managed to make just 35 more runs in the last 10 overs, finishing on 88/9 in 20 overs.

In response, Amy Hunter and Gaby Lewis were once again quickly off the blocks. The duo brought up their third stand of fifty runs or more in the tournament in as many games. And yet again, it came at quite a pace. 

At the end of the Powerplay, Ireland were 53/0, having already shaved off a significant chunk of the target with the field restrictions on.

Navaika eventually struck for Vanuatu with the wicket of Lewis for 45, but Hunter and Orla Prendergast got them through to a big win to book an appearance at the semi-finals of the tournament.

USA 54 (17.5) lost to Thailand 56/1 (9.2)

Toss: Thailand elect to bowl first

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A spectacular bowling performance from Thailand saw them thump USA at the Sheikh Zayed stadium in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. 

Opting to bowl first, Chanida Sutthiruang set the tone for Thailand with a wicket off the very first delivery of the innings — the inswinger clipping the top of off-stump to send back Disha Dingra. 

Sutthiruang sent back the other opener, Anika Kolan, in her next over to reduce USA to 6 for 2. 

The skipper Sindhu Sriharsha joined hands with Pooja Ganesh to rebuild, but the introduction of left-arm spinner Thipatcha Putthawong spelt doom for USA. She sent back Pooja in her very first over before taking two more in her next over to run through the USA middle-order. 

Onnicha Kamchomphu compounded USA’s woes with a strike in her first over as well. Putthawong added a fourth in her third over, which also saw a run out. 

USA were reduced to 34/8 before Isani Vaghela’s 22-ball 15 helped them past the fifty-run mark. Putthawong finished as the pick of the bowlers with figures of 4/12, all four of her victims being bowled.

Geetika Kodali had Nattaya Boochatham bowled off the first ball in response as USA got off to a good start.

But they had very little to celebrate after that as Nannapat Koncharoenkai and skipper Naruemol Chaiwai put on a solid partnership to guide the team to a second win in the tournament.

Netherlands 135/6 (20) beat Zimbabwe 121/4 (20)

Toss: Netherlands elected to bat first

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Opting to bat first, Netherlands lost key batter Iris Zwilling early to a direct-hit at the non-striker’s end, but Sterre Kalis and Babette de Leede rebuilt with a watchful stand.

The partnership began slowly as Netherlands ambled along to 29 in the first six overs. Kalis opened up with back-to-back fours off Josephine Nkomo and looked in ominous touch.

Sharne Mayers was brought into the attack in the 13th over and struck off her first delivery when she cleaned up de Leede for 37 to break the stand.

Francis Chipare doubled it up with the wicket of Kalis two overs later, trapped in front for 34 off 37 balls. 

Netherlands added 42 runs in the last five overs with Robine Rijke leading the charge. She remained unbeaten on 39 off 25 balls to give the innings the late push it badly needed.

In reply, Modester Mupachikwa led Zimbabwe’s fight from the top. But Netherlands struck at the other end, sending back three batters inside the Powerplay.

Frederique Overdijk, Silver Siegers and Zwilling took a wicket apiece as Zimbabwe were reduced to 29/3. Caroline de Lange added another after the Powerplay, dismissing Ashley Ndiraya. 

Nkomo and Mupachikwa resurrected the innings with a solid partnership but with Netherlands maintaining impeccable discipline with the ball, the runs weren’t coming as quickly as they would have wanted.

Zimbabwe needed 52 in the last five overs to win, but could manage 37 more and finished on 121/4 despite the Nkomo-Mupachikwa pair remaining unbeaten.

Netherlands completed a 14-run win to make it two wins in three games in the tournament.

Sri Lanka 154/4 (20) beat Uganda 87 (19.2)

Toss: Sri Lanka elected to bat first

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A career-best T20I knock from Vishmi Gunaratne and a brilliant bowling effort led Sri Lanka to a massive win in Group A of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier 2024.

The opening stand began with a bang for Sri Lanka as Chamari Athapaththu and Gunaratne completed the fifty-run partnership off 45 balls. However, Athapaththu holed out for 24 off Janet Mbabazi.

Harshitha Madavi was run out shortly afterwards, but Gunaratne found support from Hasini Perera, who came in at No.4.

Gunaratne completed her half-century off 51 balls with Perera being the aggressor. The latter was eventually dismissed for 30 off 24 balls in the 18th over.

Gunaratne finished on an unbeaten 73 off 64 balls, her highest score in T20Is and Sri Lanka posted a formidable 154/4 in 20 overs.

In the chase, Sri Lanka were all over Uganda in no time, reducing them to 22/2 inside the Powerplay. 

Inoka Ranaweera stepped into the attack immediately after the Powerplay and struck twice in two balls to reduce Uganda to 22/4. 

Left-arm wrist spinner Shashini Gimhani also took a wicket in her first over as Uganda lost their first five wickets inside 10 overs with the total on 35.

Prosscovia Alko resisted Sri Lanka’s charge but barely found any support from the other end as wickets kept tumbling.

She made 36 in 32 balls, and was the seventh batter dismissed. Kavisha Dilhari wrapped up the last two wickets off successive balls in the final over and Uganda were bowled out for 87 to hand Sri Lanka a huge victory.

With the 67-run win, Sri Lanka continued their unbeaten streak in the tournament with three wins out of three in Group A.