Thrilling end looms in ICC Women's Emerging Nations Trophy 

The first edition of the ICC Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy kicked off on November 20 in Thailand.

The new tournament pitted eight of the best Associate Members in women’s cricket against one another

With the tournament reaching its conclusion, here's a look at how the sides have fared in the contest thus far, and which teams remain in contention for the title.

Scotland ( 6 played, 5 wins, 1 loss, NRR: 0.906, final fixture: Thailand)

Scotland entered the tournament without skipper Katherine Bryce, with her sister, Sarah Bryce, taking the reins. They were undeterred, starting in fine form and securing five wins in a row, a run halted by a 27-run defeat to the Netherlands in their latest encounter.

With a final fixture against Thailand, the game becomes a must-win encounter for the side, as a loss will see them miss out on the title by the barest of margins.

Young batter Darcey Carter has been a standout performer for her side, scoring 239 runs in 6 innings at an impressive average of 79.66, which also makes her the tournament's highest run-getter.

Meanwhile, Chloe Abel and Rachel Slater have shone with the ball for the Scots, with seven wickets apiece. Abel even took an impressive five-wicket haul against Papua New Guinea.

Thailand (6 played, 4 wins, 2 losses, NRR: 1.210, final fixture: Scotland)

The hosts came into the tournament as the highest-ranked team in the Women’s T20I Rankings amongst their competitors. Thailand also boasted a nine-match winning streak before the tournament, beginning their campaign in the same vein with a 23-run victory over the Netherlands.

However, they were left shocked in their second fixture as they succumbed to an eight-run defeat against Papua New Guinea. The hosts then continued their winning run until their latest encounter, where they were beaten by UAE by seven wickets.

Their final fixture against Scotland is rather intriguing. If Thailand do win, and assuming Netherlands and UAE secure wins too, the eventual winner would be decided on the basis of net run rate.

Natthakan Chantham has been Thailand’s top scorer in the tournament with 144 runs, while Sunida Chaturongrattana and Thipatcha Putthawong have dominated with the ball with 13 and 11 wickets respectively.

United Arab Emirates (6 played, 4 wins, 2 losses, NRR: 1.174, final fixture: Namibia)

The UAE entered the tournament in good standing, having won a 2-0 T20I series away to Zimbabwe last month. After securing an eight-wicket win over Papua New Guinea in their opening fixture, the Emiratis endured back-to-back losses against the Netherlands and Scotland.

However, they bounced back with three wins on the bounce. They defeated Thailand by seven wickets, keeping them third on the table and in running for the title.

Their standout performer has been leggie, Vaishnave Mahesh, who is also the joint highest wicket-taker in the tournament so far. She has secured 13 wickets at a stunning economy of 3.78 and an average of 5.53. The ever-reliable Esha Oza is their highest run-getter with 119 runs.

Netherlands (6 played, 4 wins, 2 losses, NRR: 0.859, final fixture: Uganda)

Netherlands entered the campaign under the leadership of Babette De Leede after the retirement of former skipper Heather Siegers. The side came into the tournament, fresh from a successful T20 World Cup Regional Qualifier in the 2026 cycle, where they booked their tickets to the Global Qualifier early next year.

However, in contrast to their form, they suffered a defeat in their opener against hosts Thailand by 23 runs. They immediately bounced back against UAE, securing a four-wicket victory in their second fixture. They suffered another shock defeat in their fourth game, against Papua New Guinea, losing by eight runs, but bounced back once again as they secured consecutive victories over Namibia and unbeaten Scotland.

Sterre Kalis has been their top scorer with 207 runs, while Frederique Overdijk has picked 11 wickets so far in the tournament.

Papua New Guinea (6 played, 3 wins, 3 losses, NRR: -0.145, final fixture: Tanzania)

Papua New Guinea entered the tournament off the back of a victorious campaign in the ICC Women's T20 World Cup East Asia-Pacific Qualifiers in Fiji in September.

However, the team didn't have the best of the starts. They lost their first fixture against the UAE by eight wickets before bouncing back against hosts Thailand, beating them by eight runs.

They then lost to Uganda by a slender margin of four runs, but followed it up with a stunning eight-run victory over the Netherlands.

PNG put Scotland under great pressure in their next fixture, but the Scots prevailed in the penultimate ball, winning by six wickets. This was followed by another thriller against Namibia, with PNG securing a one-run win.

Brenda Tau starred for them with the bat, amassing 162 runs, while Pauke Siaka shone with the ball, picking up 10 wickets so far in the tournament.

Uganda (6 played, 2 wins, 4 losses, NRR: -0.922, final fixture: Netherlands)

Uganda secured their place in the tournament through their T20I ranking.

They started their tournament with back-to-back losses against Scotland and then Namibia by 15 and 12 runs respectively. However, they secured their first win over PNG by four runs.

They struggled in their next fixtures with back-to-back losses to Thailand and UAE, but bounced back against Tanzania, securing a seven-wicket win.

Janet Mbabazi has been a standout performer in the side, with 106 runs in the tournament so far, while Immaculate Nakisuuyi has been their top wicket-taker with seven wickets.

Namibia (6 played, 1 win, 5 losses, NRR: -1.306, final fixture: UAE)

Namibia secured their place in the tournament via their T20I rankings alongside their African counterparts, but have had little to write home about, despite their best efforts.

They secured a 12-run victory over Uganda in their second fixture but have since lost all their fixtures, including a close encounter against PNG, where they were beaten by one run.

Middle-order batter Yasmeen Khan has been their top performer with 137 runs in the tournament, while medium-pacer Naomi Benjamin has been their top wicket-taker with five wickets.

Tanzania (6 played, 1 win, 5 losses, NRR: -1.796, final fixture: PNG)

Tanzania entered the tournament in good form, with two wins over Uganda in regional action. Their tournament started on an incredible note, with a comprehensive victory over Namibia by eight wickets.

However, since that victory they have not been able to notch up another in the winning column, losing five matches in a row. The tournament though has provided some incredible exposure to their side, helping them play against quality opposition.

Saum Mtae has been their top scorer with 99 runs, while medium pacer Perice Kamunya has been their standout bowler with 6 wickets in the tournament so far.

With the last matchday upon us, and the title yet to be decided, there’s a lot to play for all the sides competing.

Fixtures on Matchday 7:

Match 25: Netherlands v Uganda, Bangkok

Match 26: Namibia v United Arab Emirates, Bangkok

Match 27: Thailand v Scotland, Bangkok

Match 28: Papua New Guinea v Tanzania, Bangkok