Scotland will “go from strength to strength” following their T20 World Cup qualification, according to head coach Craig Wallace.
Captain Kathryn Bryce led from the front – taking 4-8 with the ball and making an unbeaten 35 with the bat – as Scotland beat Ireland by eight wickets in their qualifier semi-final, guaranteeing their spot in Bangladesh later this year.
It is the first time Scotland’s women have ever reached a World Cup and Wallace insists Scotland are going there to compete.
“We’re all so happy to be in the main stage but we’re not there just to make up the numbers,” the former Scotland batter said.
“They are so young and are getting more and more experience, playing a better standard of cricket every day. They are going to go from strength to strength – I’m excited to see how good they can be come [the World Cup].”
‘Would be amazing to play England’
Skipper Bryce’s sister Sarah was playing her fifth T20 World Cup qualifier, having first represented Scotland aged 15, and says finally getting over the line is something she has dreamed of her whole life.
“I’m absolutely buzzing,” Sarah Bryce, now 24, said. “It’s been a dream of mine as long as I can remember.
“I’ve been around for a wee while now, been to these before and come up short. I can’t wait to go to the World Cup.”
Sarah, like her sister, is no stranger to facing the world’s best players. She is contracted to The Blaze on England’s domestic circuit and Welsh Fire in the Hundred, but says doing it for Scotland will be all the more special.
“Every time you put the thistle on it means something more,” she said.
“To get to do that at the highest level, even just thinking about it is ‘wow’.
“It will just mean that little bit more and testing ourselves against the best players in the world is so exciting.”
Sarah insists Scotland are not worried about which teams they play in Bangladesh, in the tournament that runs from 3-20 October, but one particular fixture did spring to mind.
“An England-Scotland game is always exciting and brings out a good rivalry, so it would be amazing to play them,” she added.
“Equally, we couldn’t care less. We’re just buzzing to be at a World Cup and hopefully we can put in some good performances.”
