Edinburgh, March 31 (IANS) Scotland Women’s cricket team will step up their preparations for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 with a T20 tri-series against Bangladesh and the Netherlands at The Grange Club to be played in May and June.

The series will mark Scotland’s first home assignment since September 2022. Since then, the team has shown steady progress, qualifying for two successive Women’s T20 World Cups and registering notable wins against full-member sides such as West Indies, Zimbabwe and Ireland in both ODI and T20 formats.

After the series, Scotland will travel to England for two additional warm-up matches before beginning their T20 World Cup campaign against Ireland at Old Trafford on June 13.

Captain Kathryn Bryce said she is looking forward to playing in front of home fans in Edinburgh.

“I’m incredibly excited for this opportunity for us to play in my hometown of Edinburgh. The last time we played there was in 2022, which feels so long ago, and I actually contracted Covid-19 at the time so ended up missing out on the series. This is going to be the first time that I’ve played for Scotland in Edinburgh in my career, so it’s incredibly exciting,” she said in a statement released by Scotland cricket.

“There’s a monumental few months coming up, given we’re then playing a T20 World Cup just down the road in England, so with the buzz and energy around that prospect, hopefully we can get lots of supporters along to watch us. It’s been so rare for Scotland to play at home that it’s not often we get to have a big crowd that’s able to see us in person and be on our side.

“Bangladesh and the Netherlands are both excellent sides, so the fixtures will be amazing preparation for us leading into the main event. I can’t wait to pull on the thistle here in Scotland and run out in front of the home fans,” she added.

Head coach Craig Wallace said hosting the tri-series is an important step for the team.

“Being able to host two excellent cricketing nations in Bangladesh and the Netherlands here in Scotland is amazing, and a big step forward for our sport and the team. Given that we haven’t played at home since 2022, it’ll probably be quite an emotional occasion for everyone involved, given the hard work that the team have put in since then and the success they’ve subsequently had,” he said.

“These matches are hugely important as preparation for us ahead of the World Cup, and it’s great to be facing strong opposition that we are also relatively familiar with. The games will act as important steps for us as we build towards that first game against Ireland in the World Cup, and the standards will be high, so we are really excited and look forward to competing and entertaining in front of a large crowd,” he added.

The tri-series, to be held at The Grange Club, will begin on May 28 with Scotland taking on the Netherlands, followed by Scotland facing Bangladesh on May 30. Bangladesh will then meet the Netherlands on May 31. The action continues with Scotland playing Bangladesh again on June 2, before Scotland face the Netherlands on June 3. The final match of the series will see the Netherlands take on Bangladesh on June 4.

–IANS

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