The inaugural Under 19 T20 World Cup in South Africa is all set to begin on 14th January where 16 teams will take part in the mega event. Like other teams, Scotland also started their preparation in full swing. They have come here through the Europe Qualifier.
Although Scotland is in a challenging group at the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup, their team has enough experience to advance to the Super Six round of the competition.
The competition, which consists of 16 teams divided into groups of four, will take place from January 7 through January 24, 2023. Along with South Africa, the UAE, and India, Scotland is in group D.
However, Scotland tasted a fair share of success as they beat the Netherlands in a 3-match series by 3-0. Notably, during the two warm-up games, they took on the USA and Sri Lanka where they won by 45 runs and lost the second one as Sri Lanka won by 6 wickets. While they got to practice well ahead of the marquee event, it is expected that they will pose some threat to the opponents also.
What could we expect?
There is no reason to think that the European team can’t compete with the best teams at the event given the number of players in the Scotland squad who have senior-level experience. They were put in a difficult group, though, with games against the hosts South Africa and the formidable India coming after a winnable encounter against the UAE.
As the top three teams from the group advance to the Super Six round of the competition, Scotland’s matchup to open the tournament looms as a must-win contest. The talented Scotland team could realistically be expected to perform at least to this standard, and with players like Ailsa Lister, Olivia Bell, and Fraser at their disposal, there is no reason why they cannot.
The 💯 moment from Darcey Carter 👏#FollowScotland 🏴 pic.twitter.com/iGmjlKuAnL
— Cricket Scotland (@CricketScotland) August 11, 2022
Players to watch out for Scotland
Katherine Fraser: Katherine Fraser has already won 31 senior matches, and the 17-year-old will be counted on to use all of her knowledge to lead the Scottish side to victory in South Africa. Fraser is more well-known for her prowess with the ball, and the right-arm spinner will likely join the bowling assault in the middle overs in an effort to limit the opponent teams’ scoring rates.
Don’t be shocked if Fraser attempts to set the tone for the bowling department and maintain things tight early on. The off-spinner has also been deployed with the new ball in the past. She is also expected to be used to improve the batting order and contribute some runs in the middle of the order given her expertise at the senior level.
Darcey Carter: Darcey Carter has already made headlines with her stunning show with the bat. The talented batter has played for Kent U-15s & is currently representing the South East Stars as well. Alongside batting, she bowls right-arm off-spin. She has the skill to clear the ropes with ease. She also scored 103*(55) in the Qualifiers against the Netherlands last year and was involved in a 204-run opening stand along with Ailsa Lister as well. With these, she is certainly a player to watch out for in the upcoming marquee event.
Scotland U19 Squad:
Katherine Fraser (C) – Stewart’s Melville
Ailsa Lister (VC) (WK) – Northern Lights / Stoneywood Dyce
Molly Barbour-Smith – Gunnersbury Women
Olivia Bell – Stockport Georgians
Darcey Carter – Hayes and Whitstable
Maryam Faisal – Clydesdale / West of Scotland
Maisie Maceira – Carlton / Gala
Orla Montgomery – Dumfries
Niamh Muir – Dumfries / St Michael’s
Molly Paton – Stewart’s Melville
Niamh Robertson-Jack – Grange
Nayma Sheikh – West of Scotland / East Kilbride
Anne Sturgess – West of Scotland / Clydesdale
Emily Tucker – Watsonians
Emma Walsingham – Stewart’s Melville
Fixtures
Saturday, January 14 v UAE, Willowmoore Park B Field, Benoni
Monday, January 16 v South Africa, Willowmoore Park, Benoni
Wednesday, January 18 v India, Willowmoore Park B Field, Benoni
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