ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 Warm-Ups: Scotland Stun Pakistan

Four teams closed out their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 warm-up campaign with wins on 9 June, two days before the tournament opens at Edgbaston. Scotland beat Pakistan by 41 runs on DLS at the County Ground in Derby, with captain Kathryn Bryce smashing 94 off 43 balls. New Zealand, the defending champions, edged South Africa by five wickets with two balls to spare at Loughborough, thanks to Amelia Kerr’s 61 from 32. Ireland held off Bangladesh by 11 runs in the day’s other Loughborough fixture, with Aimee Maguire taking four for 20.

Sri Lanka then chased the Netherlands in the final over at Derby, an unbroken 81-run stand between Hansima Karunaratne and Harshitha Samarawickrama sealing a seven-wicket win and sharpening the read on the groups going into Friday’s opener. It is the first tournament to feature 12 teams, with nine at the 2009 inaugural event and 10 from 2014.

Bryce 94 Anchors Scotland’s DLS Win Over Pakistan

Scotland chose to bat at Derby and raced to 191 for five in 20 overs. Bryce’s 94 off 43 included 11 fours and three sixes, with Darcey Carter adding 45 from 36 at the other end. The opening partnership set the tone, and loose Pakistan fielding kept the boundary count moving after wickets fell elsewhere. Bryce was run out off the final ball of the innings, just short of a century.

Pakistan needed 192 to win and never got close. Muneeba Ali top-scored with 20 from 22, while Iram Javed and Fatima Sana both struck at above 155 in search of late acceleration, but wickets kept tumbling. By the time the rain came down, Pakistan were 62 for five after nine overs, and the DLS par score had passed them, per the Scotland vs Pakistan warm-up scorecard.

Scotland sit 11th in the ICC T20I rankings, three places below Pakistan at eight, which made the margin of victory the louder story. Bryce captained Scotland at the 2026 qualifier in Nepal earlier this year and carried that form into the warm-up. Her all-round display against Ireland in the 2026 qualifier prefigured another captain’s innings on Tuesday. Scotland open their tournament against Ireland on 13 June at Old Trafford, while Pakistan face India at Edgbaston a day later. Both fixtures fall on a busy Saturday of four matches across the two groups.

• Bryce 94 (43), 11 fours, 3 sixes
• Carter 45 (36), opening stand
• Scotland 191/5 in 20 overs
• Pakistan 62/5 in 9 overs, rain-affected
• Margin: 41 runs (DLS method)

Kerr and Tryon Trade 61s as New Zealand Edge South Africa

Two of the tournament’s biggest names produced matching 61s at Loughborough, and the result hinged on whose team chased better. New Zealand got there with two balls to spare; South Africa did not.

South Africa batted first and reached 183 for five. Laura Wolvaardt set the tone with 43 from 27, and a 90-run stand between Nadine de Klerk (46 from 33) and Chloe Tryon changed the innings after Marizanne Kapp fell for 11 in the 13th over. Tryon finished 61 not out from 26, hitting six sixes, the last of them coming in the 20th over. She then took the first New Zealand wicket, stumping Isabella Gaze off her first ball at the top of the chase.

Gaze departed for 13, with Kerr and Georgia Plimmer (38) adding 76 for the second wicket. Kerr fell to Meso for 61 from 32, and Plimmer followed four balls later, leaving New Zealand 119 for three. Meso finished with three stumpings in the innings, and New Zealand still needed 65 from the final 39 balls at that point.

Sophie Devine thumped 28 from 13 to keep the asking rate in check, and Brooke Halliday added 21. Maddy Green closed on 19 not out. New Zealand needed five from the final over, and Green crunched a four through the covers to seal the five-wicket win. The defending champions’ title bid stays on course before they meet the West Indies in Southampton on 13 June. South Africa play Australia in Manchester the same day, a rematch of their 2024 semi-final.

Maguire’s Four-For Sees Ireland Past Bangladesh

Ireland were put in at Loughborough and struggled for partnerships against the Bangladesh seam attack. Sanjida Akter Meghla took three for 26 and Marufa Akter two for 18, including the wickets of Orla Prendergast for six and captain Gaby Lewis for 18. Lewis was back from injury but found no rhythm on her return. Nigar Sultana took a reaction catch to remove Prendergast.

Rebecca Stokell’s 30 and Ava Canning’s 21 not out from eight balls took Ireland to 143 for nine. In the chase, Bangladesh opener Juairiya Ferdous made 50 from 38 and Sharmin Akhter added 27, but Maguire removed all but one of her batting partners on her way to four for 20. Bangladesh finished 12 runs short of the target.

The 11-run margin sets up a first-up clash against Scotland that now looks more competitive than the rankings suggest. It also gives Ireland’s bowlers a control data point heading into the Old Trafford opener.

Karunaratne and Samarawickrama Steer Sri Lanka Home in the Final Over

The Netherlands chose to bat at Derby and built three consecutive partnerships over 40. Heather Siegers anchored with 48 from 32 and Sterre Kalis added 45 from 41. Sri Lanka’s spinners dragged the innings back, with the Dutch losing their final four wickets for 11 runs to close on 143 for six. It looked a competitive total on a slow surface.

Sri Lanka’s reply lost two wickets inside the powerplay to sit at 30 for two, and when Hasini Perera fell for 31 from 20, the Netherlands had their chance. Karunaratne and Samarawickrama, standing in as captain for the rested Chamari Athapaththu, then put on an unbroken 81-run stand. Karunaratne finished on 54 not out, Samarawickrama 36 not out, and Sri Lanka crossed the line with five balls to spare in a seven-wicket win.

How the Warm-Ups Reshaped the Two Groups

The four warm-up winners, Scotland, New Zealand, Ireland and Sri Lanka, all sit in Group B, alongside hosts England and the West Indies. Pakistan and Bangladesh, both in Group A, lost their warm-ups against opposition from the stronger side of the draw. The result is a sharper read on the groups heading into Friday’s opener, with all four matches on Saturday 13 June now shaping as competitive openers. Pakistan’s opener against India at Edgbaston is the day’s headline fixture, and it carries the weight of a warm-up loss in the visitors’ dressing room. South Africa play Australia in Manchester on 13 June, a 2024 semi-final rematch that opens the Group A title race.

The opening day is Friday 12 June at Edgbaston, England v Sri Lanka at 10:30. All four Saturday fixtures, including a 2024 semi-final rematch between Australia and South Africa at Old Trafford, follow on 13 June. The full 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup fixture list is on the ICC’s tournament page.

Four matches fill Saturday 13 June, the day after the Edgbaston opener. The tournament format and team rankings are laid out in the BBC’s tournament guide.

• Pakistan v India, Edgbaston, 13 June, 10:30 (Group A opener)
• Scotland v Ireland, Old Trafford, 13 June (Group B opener)
• West Indies v New Zealand, Southampton, 13 June (Group B opener, NZ’s title defence)
• Australia v South Africa, Old Trafford, 13 June (Group A, 2024 semi-final rematch)

The Tournament Begins on Friday

The 12-team tournament gets under way at Edgbaston on 12 June, the first time 12 teams have competed at a Women’s T20 World Cup, up from 10 in 2024 and on the way to 16 in 2030. Every match is broadcast live and free on ICC.tv and the ICC YouTube page. The 33-match match-by-match schedule and venues runs to a 5 July final at Lord’s.

New Zealand’s title defence starts against the West Indies in Southampton on 13 June, the day after the Edgbaston opener. The defending champions, 32-run winners over South Africa in the 2024 final in Dubai with Kerr taking Player of the Tournament, will want more from their middle order after three top-order wickets fell to Meso’s glovework in the warm-up. South Africa play Australia in Manchester on 13 June, a 2024 semi-final rematch. For the four qualifier nations, the warm-up results cut both ways: Scotland’s 41-run DLS win over Pakistan and Ireland’s 11-run defence against Bangladesh show both can compete with Full Members above them in the rankings.

The Netherlands took Sri Lanka to the final over with bat and ball, and Bangladesh’s middle order needs work after a chase that fell 12 runs short. Each qualifier side now has at least one data point against Full Member opposition, and at least one problem to fix before the group stage. The picture is mixed: form is possible, but no qualifier can assume the upset follows them into the group stage.

The first ball at Edgbaston on Friday starts a 24-day run to the Lord’s final on 5 July. The warm-ups are over; the tournament starts now.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 start?

The tournament opens on 12 June at Edgbaston, with hosts England taking on Sri Lanka in the first match at 10:30. Group B action begins the following day with three matches scheduled for 13 June, including New Zealand’s title defence against the West Indies in Southampton.

Who are the defending champions?

New Zealand won the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup, beating South Africa by 32 runs in the final in Dubai. Amelia Kerr took 15 wickets across the tournament and was named Player of the Tournament.

Where can fans watch the matches?

Every match, including the warm-ups, is broadcast live and free globally on ICC.tv and the ICC YouTube page.

Which teams came through the 2026 qualifier?

Bangladesh, Ireland, the Netherlands and Scotland secured the final four spots at the 2026 T20 World Cup qualifier in January and February. Sri Lanka and Pakistan qualified through the ICC Women’s T20I team rankings in 2024.

When and where is the final?

The final is scheduled for 5 July at Lord’s, with semi-finals at The Oval on 30 June and 2 July.