NEW ZEALAND, SCOTLAND, IRELAND AND SRI LANKA END ICC WOMEN’S T20 WORLD CUP WARM-UP CAMPAIGN WITH VICTORIES

Media release

• Amelia Kerr and Chloe Tryon trade firepower scores of 61 in high-scoring game
• Kathryn Bryce makes 94 off just 43 balls as Scotland beat Pakistan
• Aimee Maguire’s economical four for 20 sees Ireland hold on against Bangladesh
• Hansima Karunaratne’s unbeaten 54 sees Sri Lanka narrowly past the Netherlands
• All warm-up games are being broadcast live and free globally on ICC.tv and the ICC YouTube page

New Zealand triumphed in a high-scoring encounter with South Africa in the final warm-up match before their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup defence begins.

Associate nation Scotland beat Pakistan in a rain-affected game, while Ireland defeated Bangladesh.

Sri Lanka ensured it would not be three European victories over Asian teams as they beat the Netherlands in the final over.

Scotland 191/5 defeat Pakistan 62/5 by 41 runs (DLS method)  

Scotland skipper Kathryn Bryce crashed 94 off 43 runs to help her side to a 41-run (DLS method) win over Pakistan.

Having been put into bat, Scotland (ICC Ranking: 11) started positively with Darcey Carter making 45 from 36, as she played cleverly and allowed Bryce to go big.

Pakistan (ICC Ranking: 8) took wickets at regular intervals, but loose fielding meant they were unable to halt Bryce’s scoring as she crunched 11 fours and three sixes before being run out off the final ball of the innings.

Bryce then took two catches as Pakistan’s chase of 192 failed to get going with Muneeba Ali top scoring with 20 from 22.

Sensing the need to score quickly Iram Javed and Fatima Sana each struck at over 155 but the rain then came in with Pakistan at 62 for five after nine overs as Scotland triumphed on DLS method.

Scotland begin their tournament against Ireland on 13 June at Old Trafford while Pakistan face India at Edgbaston a day later.

Ireland 143/9 defeat Bangladesh 132/6 by 11 runs

Aimee Maguire’s four-for helped Ireland defend 143 against Bangladesh to end their World Cup warm-ups with an 11-run win.

Ireland (ICC Ranking: 9) were put into bat in Loughborough and struggled to build partnerships as Sanjida Akter Meghla (3/26) and Marufa Akter (2/18) bowled in tandem.

Sanjida was able to dismiss the dangerous Orla Prendergast for six as Nigar Sultana took a reaction catch, and three balls later Marufa picked up the wicket of captain Gaby Lewis, who was out for 18 on her return from injury.

Rebecca Stokell top-scored with 30, while Ava Canning made 21 from eight balls as Ireland posted 143 which proved to be just enough.

Juairiya Ferdous was the aggressor in the chase, making 50 from 38 but Maguire cleaned up all but one of her batting partners with figures of four for 20 as Bangladesh (ICC Ranking: 10) ended 12 runs short of victory.

New Zealand 186/5 defeat South Africa 183/5 by five wickets

Amelia Kerr’s 61 powered New Zealand to a last-gasp win over South Africa as Chloe Tryon’s stunning rearguard hitting proved in vain.

Laura Wolvaardt set the tone with 43 from 27, but low scores around her meant that when Marizanne Kapp fell for 11 in the 13th over New Zealand (ICC Ranking: 4) were in the ascendancy with South Africa (ICC Ranking: 5) at 82 for four.

That wicket brought Tryon to the crease and she and Nadine de Klerk (46 from 33) produced a vital 90-run partnership.

Tryon ended with 61 not out from 26 balls, hitting six sixes, before taking the first wicket as Isabella Gaze was stumped for 13 with New Zealand chasing 184.

Karabo Meso picked up two more stumpings as Kerr powered New Zealand into pole position for the win with 61 from 32 before she and Georgia Plimmer (38) both fell to the gloves of Meso in the space of four balls to leave New Zealand at 119 for three.

Sophie Devine made a quick 28 from 13 balls before clever play from Brooke Halliday (21) and Maddy Green (19) saw them need five off the final over with Green crunching a four to seal an important win with two balls to spare.

New Zealand’s title defence begins against the West Indies in Southampton on 13 June, while on the same day up in Manchester South Africa take on Australia with each game a semi-final rematch from 2024.

Sri Lanka 146/3 beat Netherlands 143/6 by seven wickets

An unbeaten 81-run partnership between Hansima Karunaratne and Harshitha Samarawickrama helped Sri Lanka to a seven-wicket victory over the Netherlands.

Having chosen to bat, the Netherlands (ICC Ranking: 14) made three consecutive partnerships over 40 with Heather Siegers anchoring the innings.

She was dismissed for 48 runs from 32 balls with the Netherlands at 89 for two before Sterre Kalis made 45 from 41.

Sri Lanka (ICC Ranking: 6) then hit back taking the final four wickets for 11 runs as the Dutch posted 143 for six.

In response, Sri Lanka lost two wickets inside the powerplay to sit at 30 for two before the Netherlands really turned the screw when Hasini Perera departed for 31 from 20 balls.

But then, Harshitha Samarawickrama (36 not out), standing in as captain for Chamari Athapaththu, and Hansima Karunaratne (54 not out) combined for a huge partnership to take the victory in the final over.

Sri Lanka open the whole tournament against hosts England on 12 June, while the Netherlands will play their first-ever World Cup game when they take on Bangladesh at Edgbaston on 14 June, while

Scores in brief

Scotland v Pakistan – County Ground, Derby

Scotland 191/5 in 20 overs (Kathryn Bryce 94, Darcey Carter 45; Sadia Iqbal 1/23, Tasmia Rubab 1/34)

Pakistan 62/5 in 9 overs (Muneeba Ali 20, Iram Javed 14; Rachel Slater 2/11, Chloe Abel 1/9)

Result: Scotland win by 41 runs (DLS method)

Ireland v Bangladesh – Loughborough University, Loughborough

Ireland 143/9 in 20 overs (Rebecca Stokell 30, Ava Canning 21 not out; Sanjida Akter Meghla 3/26, Marufa Akter 2/18)

Bangladesh 132/6 in 20 overs (Juairiya Ferdous 50, Sharmin Akhter 27;  Aimee Maguire 4/20, Lara McBride 1/17)

Result: Ireland win by 11 runs

New Zealand v South Africa – Loughborough University, Loughborough

South Africa 183/5 in 20 overs (Chloe Tryon 61 not out, Nadine de Klerk 46; Sophie Devine 2/16, Jess Kerr 2/21)

New Zealand 186/5 in 19.4 overs (Amelia Kerr 61,  Georgia Plimmer 38; Ayabonga Khaka 2/42, Chloe Tryon 1/20)

Result: New Zealand win by five wickets

Netherlands v Sri Lanka – County Ground, Derby

Netherlands 143/6 in 20 overs (Heather Siegers 48, Sterre Kalis 45; Malki Madara 1/12, Kavisha Dilhari 1/13)

Sri Lanka 146/3 in 19.1 overs (Hansima Karunaratne 54 not out, Harshitha Samarawickrama 36 not out; Myrthe van den Raad 1/15, Frederique Overdijk 1/29)

Result: Sri Lanka win by seven wickets