SCOTLAND WOMEN DEFEAT NETHERLANDS TO END SUCCESSFUL TOUR
Scotland ended their tour of the Netherlands in a style with a 27-run victory over their hosts, to add a T20 Tri-Series triumph to their ODI Tri-Series success achieved earlier this week.
Batting first once again, Scotland posted 145-4, led by Darcey Carter’s unbeaten 54, before in reply the Netherlands were restricted to 118-8, as Nayma Sheikh took a career-best 4-14.
It brought an end to a successful tour for Craig Wallace’s side, who won five out of six games against the Netherlands and Papua New Guinea, with attention now set to turn to the Women’s T20 World Cup in October.
Megan McColl and Abbi Aitken-Drummond got Scotland off to a positive start, adding 35 for the opening wicket before Caroline Lange struck to remove McColl (24), caught by Eva Lynch.
Lange would strike again to dismiss Maryam Faisal (8), stumped by Babette de Leede, and when Lange got the better of Aitken-Drummond (10), Scotland were in a spot of bother at 51-3.
However, just like yesterday against PNG, it was Priyanaz Chatterji and Darcey Carter that built a match-winning partnership, this time adding 87 in 52 balls, with both players clearing the ropes as they played positively.
Carter would hit top gear in the penultimate over, taking 18 from Iris Zwilling’s set as she reached her 50 from just 34 bowls, with a huge six hoisted over the leg-side.
Chatterji fell in the final over, bowled by Lynch for a superb 28-ball 36, leaving Lorna Jack-Brown to blast a quickfire seven to lift Scotland to an imposing 145-4.
Like Scotland, the Netherlands’ opening pair also started brightly, with the Dutch buoyed by the returning Sterre Kalis following her involvement in The Hundred.
Kalis reached 20 in a partnership of 34 with Zwilling, departing in the sixth over as she was bowled by Olivia Bell.
Zwilling and De Leede continued to keep their side on track, and took their side to 60 in the 12th over, when Nayma Sheikh struck twice in an over.
She forced one through the defences of Zwilling (23), before Robine Rijke (1) was stumped following smart work from Ellen Watson behind the stumps.
Sheikh continued to tear through the Netherlands’ top-order, trapping de Leede in front for 17, before Phebe Molkenboer (11) was caught by Aitken-Drummond, as the Dutch slipped to 83-5.
Those four wickets in the space of 24 balls had wrecked the hosts’ hopes of chasing down 146, and Bell (2-20), Chloe Abel (2-22) and Chatterji (1-19) all struck in the closing overs as the Netherlands were restricted to 118-9, 27 short of their target.