THAILAND AND SCOTLAND WELL TESTED ON FIRST DAY OF EMERGING NATIONS TROPHY

THAILAND AND SCOTLAND WELL TESTED ON FIRST DAY OF EMERGING NATIONS TROPHY

The first day of the ICC Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy held in Bangkok was a great success as there were four interesting matches on display and there were wins for Thailand and Scotland who were well tested by Netherlands and Uganda respectively at TCG but more convincing wins for UAE and Tanzania who overcame PNG and Namibia at AIT.

Thailand got the ICC Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy underway when they faced Netherlands in the morning match at TCG. The hosts had batted impressively in the recent Quad Cup played on the same ground but the top-order was soon under pressure after Netherlands won the toss and chose to field first.

The openers who had laid a solid base in recent matches were both out during the powerplay as Nattaya Boochatham was lbw for 5 and Chanida Sutthiruang was bowled for 7. Thailand were 26 for 2 after six overs but their two inform batters would have more time at the crease and Nannapat Khoncharoenkai hit 4 fours in her 26 from 18 balls to continue her run of useful scores but was third out with the score on 49.

Thailand captain Naruemol Chaiwai has not spent much time at the crease and she was out second ball which meant that Thailand reached 58 for 4 at the halfway point of their innings. Natthakan Chantam was named player of the match in her last match and she would have to look to see her side through to the end of the innings.

The situation worsened for Thailand as Suleeporn Laomi and Rosenanee Kanoh were both dismissed as they tried to hit out against the leg-spin of Caroline de Lange but Natthakan Chantam hit her third boundary and was scoring at better than a run a ball, while Phannita Maya was batting sensibly as Thailand had made 84 for 6 after 15 overs.

Natthakan was now in fine form after the past week’s cricket and she hit a beautiful pair of boundaries to raise Thai spirits. The 100 came up in the 18^th over as Natthakan played the scoop shot with some expertise but she was surprisingly stumped at the start of the next over as Silver Siegars, also bowling leg-spin, spun one past her bat to end a fine innings of 39 from 36 balls.

Netherlands had bowled well to restrict Thailand to 104 for 7 in 19 overs but the last over of the innings proved expensive with a couple of boundaries and some sloppy fielding with an overthrow off the last ball.

Thailand would have to bowl well to defend a total of 117 but Phannita Maya who had done well with the bat got a wicket in the first over as she bowled Phoebe Molkenboer for 0 and worse was to follow for Netherlands as their leading batter Sterre Kalis was lbw to slow left-arm spinner Thipatcha Putthawong for 1 in the second over. Thailand were suddenly on top with Netherlands 5 for 2.

Babette de Leede led a counter-attack with 5 fours in her innings of 25 from 16 balls but she was the third wicket to fall in the powerplay as Netherlands were 37 for 3 after six overs as she was bowled by a beauty from Chanida Sutthiruang and Nerherlands soon lost their fourth wicket as the leg-spin of Suleeporn Laomi was introduced.

Rijke was batting steadily but Netherlands were 48 for 5 as Suleeporn took her second wicket as Rosenanee took a steepler at long on. Suleeporn finished with figures of 2 for 11 in her 4 overs and Onnicha Kampchomphu took the sixth wicket with her off-spin as Netherlands fell further behind the rate.  Sunida Chaturongrattana dismissed Rijke for 23 and Netherlands needed 46 runs from the last five overs with only three wickets left.

Hannah Landheer showed some defiance by hitting the first six of the match and Caroline de Lange also reached 20 but Thailand were outstanding in the field with Rosenanee taking another outstanding catch on the boundary. De Lange was last out as she was run out for 21 and Netherlands were bowled out for 94 in 18.5 overs as Thailand won by 23 runs after a match that was more competitive than the final result suggests.

Suleeporn Laomi was named player of the match for her figures of 2 for 11 and an economy rate of 2.75 but it was a fine team performance with fellow spinners Thipatcha and Onnicha also taking two wickets but the key for Thailand had been a measured innings of 39 from Natthakan Chantam who had helped her side recover from a position of 69 for 6.

Scotland were also tested by Uganda in the afternoon match at TCG as the Scots faltered after looking set for a big score as Darcy Carter hit an unbeaten 54 but she could only watch as a succession of partners were lost as she approached her fifty. Scotland managed 115 for 9 in their 20 overs and the Uganda innings began with 17-year-old left-arm seamer Mollie Parker claiming a wicket with her second ball in international cricket as she trapped Uganda captain Janet Mbabzi lbw for a duck with a perfect inswinger.

Uganda rrecovered bravely as they reached 58 for one at the halfway stage so they were up with the rate thanks to a second-wicket partnership of 64 between Iloko and Nakisuuyi but once the stand was broken wickets fell regularly as Chaterji and Maqsood took two wickets apiece. Uganda finished 15 runs short of Scotland’s total and Darcey Carter was named player of the match for batting through the course of the innings for an unbeaten 54.

United Arab Emirates’ last trip to Thailand ended in heartbreak as they failed to qualify for the Global Qualifier by losing to Thailand and Nepal but they enjoyed a convincing victory over Papua New Guinea at AIT in the morning match. PNG were restricted to a modest total of 94 for 5 and UAE won by eight wickets with almost five overs to spare as Teertha Satish hit an unbeaten 45.

In the second match at AIT Tanzania overcame the higher ranked Namibia by chasing down Namibia’s total of 118 for 5 of which Sune Wittmann hit 53 to win by eight wickets as they made 119 for 2 in 17 overs thanks to Saum Mtae’s 55* as Tanzania recorded an outstanding victory.

Day 2 of the ICC Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy will see another four matches played tomorrow with these eight teams sure to provide some more thrilling cricket.