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Zimbabwe outplay UAE, Sri Lanka blow away Scotland
Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka registered comfortable wins in matches seven and eight of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier in Abu Dhabi under the Tolerance Oval and Zayed Cricket Stadium lights on Saturday.
Zimbabwe bounced back from a disappointing loss to Vanuatu on Thursday by registering a comfortable, eight-wicket win over the United Arab Emirates (UAE) while Sri Lanka lived up to their “tournament favourites” reputation with a 10-wicket drubbing of Scotland.
UAE vs Zimbabwe
The UAE won the toss and opted to bat first, but just as in their tournament opener against Ireland, they failed to fire with the bat. The tournament hosts lost three wickets inside the first six overs, but the innings was steered back on track courtesy of a 52-run, fourth-wicket partnership between Kavisha Edodage (23) and top-scorer, Heena Hotchandani (32 off 33 balls, three fours).
Both batters fell in quick succession and after their departure, the UAE’s lower-order struggled to get going in the death overs. Rinitha Ranjith’s much needed 19 off 11 balls (two fours) helped her side pass the 100-run mark.
Zimbabwe’s bowlers maintained their discipline with the ball for most of the UAE innings. Josephine Nkomo (player of the match) was the pick of the bowlers with four wickets for 11 runs in four overs. She took wickets both with the new ball and in the death overs with her impressive seam bowling. Audrey Mazvishaya helped maintain their momentum with her own two wickets for 25.
Zimbabwe were rarely troubled in their chase. Opener, Sharne Mayers, fell for 13 after a 22-run opening partnership. Wicketkeeper-batter Modester Mupachikwa (22) added 43 runs for the second-wicket with Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano.
After Mupachikwa’s dismissal in the 10th over, Mugeri-Tiripano saw her side home in the company of skipper Mary-Anne Musonda who scored an unbeaten 26 off 23 balls (three fours). Mugeri-Tiripano scored a brisk, unbeaten 36 from 26 with the help of four fours. Zimbabwe completed the chase with 27 balls to spare, Suraksha Kotte was the only wicket-taker for UAE.
Scotland vs Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to field first and the decision reaped rich rewards as the Scotland’s batters failed to create momentum from the start of their innings. After losing opener Darcey Carter for a duck in the opening over, Scotland kept losing wickets at regular intervals.
Player of the match in the win against Thailand, Inoshi Priyadharshani, produced another quality spell. The off-spinner took three wickets in her four overs, conceding a mere 11 runs. Kavisha Dilhari, later named the player of the match, also made life tough for Scotland’s batters with her off-spinners, she took four wickets in 3.2 overs.
Lorna Jack top-scored with 24 runs, while captain, Kathryn Bryce, contributed an enterprising 22 off 19 balls (five fours) but failed to make the most of her promising start.
In reply, captain Chamari Athapaththu, smashed an unbeaten 59 off 35 balls (10 fours, one six) as Sri Lanka cruised past the target in 10.1 overs. Athapaththu played in her typically aggressive manner as the Scotland bowlers searched but found no answers. The bowlers were also let down by a below-par fielding effort, including dropped chances as Athapaththu played her shots.
Athapaththu’s opening partner Vishmi Gunaratne dropped anchor on the other end, her captain leading from the front with some swashbuckling shots. Sri Lanka are now poised for a semi-final spot from Group A with matches against Uganda and USA to follow next week.
Scores in brief:
Match 7:
Zimbabwe beat UAE by eight wickets
UAE 105 for 9 in 20 overs (Heena Hotchandani 32, Kavisha Edodage 23; Josephine Nkomo 4-11, Audrey Mazvishaya 2-25)
Zimbabwe 106 for 2in 15.3 overs (Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano 36 not out, Mary-Anne Musonda 26 not out; Suraksha Kotte 1-13)
Player of the match – Josephine Nkomo
Match 8:
Sri Lanka beat Scotland by 10 wickets
Scotland 94 all out in 18.2 overs (Lorna Jack 24, Kathryn Bryce 22; Kavisha Dilhari 4-13, Inoshi Priyadharshani 3-11)
Sri Lanka 95 for no loss in 10.1 overs (Chamari Athapaththu 59 not out, Vishmi Gunaratne 24 not out)
Player of the match – Kavisha Dilhari
(ICC)
Seven venues have been confirmed to host the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup next year in England.
The historic Lord’s Cricket Ground has been confirmed as the venue for the Final of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, with the title clash set for 5 July.
The announcement was made on 1 May during a launch event at Lord’s, where it was also revealed that Edgbaston, Hampshire Bowl, Headingley, Old Trafford Cricket Ground, The Oval and Bristol County Ground will host matches during the tournament.
The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 will begin on 12 June and span 24 days, featuring 33 matches before reaching its grand finale at Lord’s.
The full tournament schedule will be unveiled in due course.
With an expanded field of 12 teams – the largest ever in a Women’s T20 World Cup – this edition promises to be the most competitive yet as the best in the world vie for the prestigious title.
Eight teams – hosts England, Australia, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies – have already secured their spots for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026. Four additional teams will join them through the Qualifier scheduled next year.
The 12 teams will be split into two groups of six for the group stage, followed by the knockout rounds and finals.
“The confirmation of venues represents a defining moment as we build towards the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026. This tournament will bring together the world’s finest players in a celebration of skill, spirit and sportsmanship,” said ICC Chair Jay Shah.
“The United Kingdom’s rich diversity has always shown passionate support for all teams, something we witnessed so memorably at past events. The sell-out Women’s Cricket World Cup final at Lord’s in 2017 remains a landmark in the rise of the women’s game, and I cannot think of a more fitting stage for the final.”
“As we turn our focus to preparing for the tournament, we are excited by the promise of thrilling T20 action that will not only captivate fans here but also serve as a showcase for cricket’s return on the Olympic stage in Los Angeles 2028.”
ECB Chief Executive Richard Gould added: “We are hugely excited for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, and thrilled to be able to confirm the seven iconic venues that will host the tournament.
“It is of course extra special to announce that the final will be taking place at Lord’s. It is one of the finest venues in world cricket and every cricketer dreams of being part of occasions like a World Cup final at Lord’s.
“This will be the biggest women’s cricket event ever staged in England and Wales and is undoubtedly an opportunity to take the game to more people than ever before and welcome in new fans – young and old.
“Crucially though this isn’t just about scale, it’s about providing a world-class experience for players, fans and broadcasters alike, ensuring that the tournament reflects the elite performance of the players on the pitch.
“We want this competition to be part of a long-term movement, and not just a single moment in time. This World Cup will grow a new generation of fans who didn’t grow up with women’s cricket but will never imagine sport without it.”
The 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup will mark the milestone 10th edition of the tournament, which began in 2009.
The most recent edition, hosted by Bangladesh in the UAE in 2024, saw New Zealand claim their first-ever title, defeating South Africa by 32 runs in the final.
[ICC]
Russia and North Korea have begun construction of their first-ever road bridge on the Tumen River, which forms the natural border between the allied countries, describing it as a symbol of their deepening partnership.
Announcing the project on Wednesday, Russia’s Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said it would reduce transport costs, facilitate trade and promote tourism.
“This is truly a milestone for Russian-Korean relations,” Mishustin said during a video meeting with Pak Thae-song, chairman of North Korea’s Supreme People’s Assembly.
“The significance goes far beyond just an engineering task, as it symbolises our common desire to strengthen friendly, good-neighbourly relations and increase interregional cooperation,” he added.
There is already a rusting, Soviet-era rail bridge across the Tumen River.
“Another road will allow entrepreneurs to significantly increase the volume of transport [goods] and reduce transport costs – and, of course, open up good prospects for tourism,” said Mishustin.
Russia’s Kommersant newspaper said the bridge will be ready by mid-2026.
[Aljazeera]
The US has signed a deal with Ukraine on the joint exploitation of its energy and mineral resources, after months of tense negotiations.
The two countries have agreed to establish a reconstruction investment fund to spur Ukraine’s economic recovery from its war with Russia.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said it showed both sides were committed to lasting peace and prosperity in Ukraine. For Kyiv, the deal is seen as essential to accessing US military aid.
Ukraine is believed to have vast reserves of critical minerals like graphite, titanium and lithium. They are highly sought after because of their use in renewable energy, military applications and industrial infrastructure.
The agreement comes amid a US trade war with China, where 90% of the world’s current rare earth stocks are sourced.
According to the statement from the US Treasury on Wednesday afternoon, the newly created US-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund recognises the “significant financial and material support” the US has given Ukraine since Russia invaded in February 2022.
The US treasury secretary said in a video statement that the deal would help “unlock Ukraine’s growth assets”.
The language of the announcement shows much more solidarity with Ukraine than is usual for the Trump administration.
It refers to “Russia’s full scale invasion” and adds that “no state or person who financed or supplied the Russian war machine will be allowed to benefit from the reconstruction of Ukraine”.
The Kremlin has not yet responded to the agreement.
[BBC]
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