Sri Lanka Women edged past Scotland Women by three wickets in the 25th match of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 at Stretford. Asked to bat first, Scotland Women posted 151/6 in their 20 overs. Sarah Bryce remained unbeaten on 47 off 33 balls, while Darcey Carter contributed 34. Mithali Ayodhya Bandara was the pick of the Sri Lanka bowlers with figures of 2/34 in four overs.
Chasing 152, Sri Lanka Women held their nerve in the final over to seal the victory. They needed seven runs from the last six balls before Nilakshi Silva and Sugandika Kumari guided the team home.
The victory keeps Sri Lanka's semi-final hopes alive, but they now rely on other results. They need England to defeat New Zealand and Ireland to register a convincing win over West Indies to qualify for the semi-finals. Meanwhile, Scotland missed a golden opportunity to secure direct qualification for the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2028.
Scotland Make a Bright Start
Scotland's openers, Darcey Carter and Katherine Fraser, gave their team an aggressive start. Carter attacked from the beginning and struck four boundaries in her first 10 balls. Fraser also played positively before Nilakshika Silva produced a superb diving catch at mid-off to dismiss her for 12 off the bowling of Mithali Ayodhya.
Scotland reached 45/1 in the powerplay. During the innings, Carter also became the tournament's leading run-scorer by overtaking England's Danni Wyatt-Hodge.
Sri Lanka Pull Things Back
Sri Lanka tightened their bowling after the powerplay. Kathryn Bryce briefly counterattacked with a six and a four against Chamari Athapaththu but could score only 23 from 23 balls before Kavisha Dilhari dismissed her with a caught-and-bowled effort.
Carter also struggled to maintain her scoring rate. After racing to 18 from 10 balls, she managed only 16 runs from her next 26 deliveries. As a result, Scotland added only 43 runs in the eight overs following the powerplay.
Bryce and Lister Lift Scotland
Sarah Bryce and Ailsa Lister rebuilt the innings with a valuable partnership of 53 runs from just 32 balls. Lister scored a quick 26 off 17 before Nilakshika Silva produced a direct hit to run her out at the non-striker's end. Priyanaz Chatterji was also run out on the very next delivery.
Sarah Bryce continued to attack and struck two boundaries in the final over to help Scotland finish on 151. Scotland scored 63 runs in the last six overs to post a competitive total.
Athapaththu Gives Sri Lanka a Flying Start
Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu continued her excellent form after her unbeaten century against Ireland. She smashed two fours in the opening over before attacking Gabriella Fontenla with three boundaries and a six in an 18-run over.
Although Imesha Dulani departed early, Athapaththu and Hasini Perera powered Sri Lanka past 50 in only 4.4 overs.
Scotland Fight Back
Scotland bounced back after the powerplay. Katherine Fraser dismissed Athapaththu for a brilliant 33 off just 16 balls to give her team a crucial breakthrough.
Harshitha Samarawickrama started confidently, but the scoring rate slowed. Kathryn Bryce removed Hasini Perera, while Fraser trapped Hansima Karunaratne lbw to reduce Sri Lanka to 78/4. Scotland suddenly found themselves back in control of the contest.
Missed Chances Prove Costly
Harshitha Samarawickrama and Kavisha Dilhari kept Sri Lanka in the chase before both lost their wickets while attempting attacking shots. Sri Lanka entered the final five overs needing 34 runs with only four wickets remaining.
Scotland's bowlers built pressure with several dot balls. However, Gabriella Fontenla dropped two crucial catches in the closing overs, giving Sri Lanka valuable lifelines. Kathryn Bryce also conceded 10 runs in the penultimate over, including two wides, which eased the pressure on the batting side.
Nilakshi and Sugandika Finish the Job
Sri Lanka needed seven runs from the final over. Rachel Slater conceded four runs from the first three deliveries before leaving the field with what appeared to be a knee injury. Priyanaz Chatterji completed the over.
Nilakshi Silva calmly collected a single before Sugandika Kumari slashed the next ball through short third for four to seal a thrilling victory. Sri Lanka remain in the race for the semi-finals, while Scotland will regret letting a golden opportunity slip away.
Brief Scorecard
Sri Lanka Women kept their slim hopes of reaching the semi-finals alive after defeating Scotland Women in a tense match in Manchester. Nilakshi de Silva kept her cool at the crucial stage and helped Sri Lanka Women cross the finishing line. Katherine Fraser and Kathryn Bryce bowled well, but they were unable to prevent Sri Lanka from securing victory.
With this defeat, Scotland Women also missed the opportunity to secure direct qualification for the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2028. Although Scotland Women played good cricket throughout the match, they need to learn how to capitalize on their chances in the closing stages. Stay tuned with JUSZNEWS for regular updates!