The last time Scotland’s women faced England in an official fixture – indeed, the only time – was a one-day international played at Bradfield College in Berkshire in August 2001.
On that occasion Scotland were on the end of a monumental thrashing – bowled out for just 24 in response to England’s 262-7.
It’s testament to how far women’s cricket has come in Scotland that just over two decades later Kathryn Bryce felt emboldened to bat first against England after she won the toss.
Scotland may be an Associate nation, with a fraction of the funding and resources of a full member like England, but they were not overawed by the occasion.
With the bat they posted a respectable, if not especially challenging, total -not far shy of the average first-innings score of 117 at this venue.
There were some notable highlights as the Bryce sisters both played fluently while Ailsa Lister heaved Sarah Glenn for a 72-metre six over mid-wicket – Scotland’s first maximum of the World Cup.
Scotland’s bowling struggled against the power and crisp timing of Bouchier and Wyatt-Hodge, while their fielding was again disappointing.
But for the climax to a debut World Cup campaign this was a more than decent showing and in none of the matches were they embarrassed.
Going forward Scotland’s players, who have been contracted since 2022, would doubtless benefit from more matches against full members.
The England & Wales Cricket Board are not a charity, but that it has taken a World Cup for these sides to meet for the first time in a T20 international feels slightly incongruous given their proximity.
Cricket Scotland should be banging down the door to get games against their neighbours, in more familiar surroundings, inked into the calendar.
