Thailand’s Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 qualifier campaign ended the hard way, with a loss that left no room for late drama. The USA held their nerve to win by 28 runs, knocking Thailand out during the Super Six stage.

Earlier, Ireland produced the kind of result teams dream about, crushing the Netherlands by 98 runs to give their net run rate (NRR) a major lift. Bangladesh also stayed unbeaten, beating Scotland by 90 runs and tightening their hold at the top end of the table.

With the final fixtures now closed, the story is simple: Bangladesh and the Netherlands have already booked their tickets, while Ireland, Scotland, and the USA are still competing for the remaining qualification places. Thailand, after showing flashes of fight, can now only play spoiler.

Results that changed everything in the Super Six

Three matches reshaped the Super Six points table in one day, and Thailand felt the sharpest edge of it.

Ireland’s huge win over the Netherlands did more than add points. It added breathing room, because a win by 98 runs in T20 cricket is also an NRR boost that can decide qualification when teams finish level.

Bangladesh’s comfortable victory over Scotland kept their unbeaten run going. They didn’t just win, they won big, and big wins matter late in a tournament.

Then came the result Thailand fans won’t want to relive. The USA beat Thailand by 28 runs in a match where 129 looked reachable, but the chase never got ahead of the pressure. Thailand’s qualification hopes ended right there.

For tournament context and format details, the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier overview offers a straightforward summary.

Results at a glance (scores and margins)

Ireland vs Netherlands: Ireland won by 98 runs; Ireland 143/9 (Leah Paul 39, Amy Hunter 34); Netherlands 45 all out (Jane Maguire 3/9, Orla Prendergast 3/13)
Bangladesh vs Scotland: Bangladesh won by 90 runs; Bangladesh 191/5 (Nigar Sultana Joty 56 not out off 35, Sobhana Mostary 47); Scotland 101/9 (Pippa Sproul 27 not out; Marufa Akter 3/25)
USA vs Thailand: USA won by 28 runs; USA 128 all out (Pooja Ganesh 35 not out, Tara Norris 18); Thailand 100 all out (Naruemol Chaiwai 31, Nannapat Koncharoenkai 28); key spells include Tara Norris 3/22, Maahi Madhavan 2/19, and key wickets from Geetika Kodali

Match story: Ireland vs Netherlands, a win built on pressure and pace

Ireland didn’t need perfect batting to win. They needed a total they could defend, and bowlers who could make that total feel bigger with every dot ball. That’s exactly how the Ireland vs Netherlands result played out.

Ireland finished on 143/9. It wasn’t a runaway score, but it was enough on a surface that asked batters to be smart. Once Ireland had something on the board, their seamers attacked the stumps and the outside edge, and the Netherlands never settled.

One important note for the wider race: the Netherlands had already secured qualification, but Ireland still had everything to play for. That difference showed in the intensity, especially once the chase began to wobble.

For Irish fans tracking the wider campaign and match coverage, the team hub at Cricket Ireland’s qualifier page is a useful reference point.

Leah Paul steadied the innings after a fast start

Ireland began with intent through Amy Hunter and Gaby Lewis, then had to reset once wickets started to fall. That reset matters in T20 cricket because panic often costs more runs than a good ball.

Leah Paul’s 39 became the anchor. She kept Ireland moving through the middle overs, when boundaries are harder to find and teams often lose shape. Hunter’s 34 added early momentum, and Ireland’s final total, 143/9, proved it was the kind of pitch where timing and placement beat wild swings.

Maguire and Prendergast turned it into a collapse

The Netherlands chase never found a stable base. Wickets fell in clusters, and once that happens in a low chase, the batting side starts thinking about survival instead of scoring.

Jane Maguire (3/9) and Orla Prendergast (3/13) led the squeeze. They bowled with pace, hit the right lengths, and didn’t offer easy release balls. The Netherlands were dismissed for 45 all out in 14.5 overs, and Ireland won by 98 runs.

That margin matters because NRR is affected by how quickly a team scores and how quickly it dismisses the other side. Ireland couldn’t have asked for a cleaner boost.

Bangladesh vs Scotland: unbeaten run rolls on, Scotland runs out of answers

Bangladesh have played this qualifier like a team that knows exactly what it wants from each phase. Against Scotland, they built a strong total, then made the chase feel heavy from the start.

The Bangladesh vs Scotland result also underlined a simple truth of this Super Six stage: a narrow win helps, but a dominant win changes the math. When qualification scenarios come down to NRR, a 90-run victory is a statement and a weapon.

For readers who want to keep an eye on live standings and NRR updates as results land, the Cricbuzz points table for the Global Qualifier is one of the quickest places to check.

A big total set up by starts and a strong finish

Bangladesh posted 191/5, a score that forces a chase from ball one. Sobhana Mostary’s 47 set the platform, and Nigar Sultana Joty’s 56 not out off 35 provided the punch late.

In T20 terms, a “finish” is what happens in the last few overs when batters try to score at a faster rate, often by targeting the boundary and running hard. Bangladesh finished well enough that Scotland were left needing a near-perfect chase.

Scotland’s chase fell apart early

Scotland ended on 101/9, never getting close to the required pace. Pippa Sproul’s 27 not out was the top score, which shows how hard it was to build momentum.

Marufa Akter’s 3/25 stood out with the ball. For newer fans, the “target” is the score the chasing team needs to beat, and the “chase” is the innings where they try to get there. Scotland’s chase lost too many wickets too soon to mount a real push.

USA vs Thailand: the match that eliminated Thailand

Thailand entered the USA vs Thailand result with a clear task: win to keep hopes alive. When the USA were bowled out for 128 in 19.5 overs, the target of 129 looked within reach. That’s the kind of chase teams win every week, if they start well and keep wickets in hand.

But a chase can slip quietly. It doesn’t always collapse in one over. Sometimes it drifts, with too many dots, a mistimed shot, then another wicket at the wrong time. Thailand spent most of the innings trying to catch up, and the required rate kept climbing.

The final line hurts because it’s blunt: Thailand were 100 all out in 19 overs. The 28-run defeat ended Thailand’s qualification hopes in the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 qualifier.

Thailand’s bowlers did their job, but the chase never caught up

The USA innings had one clear standout with the bat: Pooja Ganesh’s 35 not out. Tara Norris added 18, and the USA still made it to 128 before being bowled out.

Thailand did enough with the ball to stay in the match. They created chances and kept taking wickets, which is exactly what a chasing side wants to see. The problem was that 129 is “gettable” only if the chase begins with purpose, and Thailand couldn’t keep the run rate moving while also protecting wickets.

Norris, Kodali, and Madhavan closed the door in the middle and death overs

The USA made its move when it mattered most. The middle overs are overs 7 to 15, when teams try to build without losing control. The death overs are the last few, when you need boundaries or you’re in trouble.

Tara Norris (3/22) struck at key moments, and Maahi Madhavan (2/19) helped lock down scoring lanes. Geetika Kodali also provided important breakthroughs, and Thailand never found a long partnership to reset the chase.

Thailand’s top scores, Naruemol Chaiwai 31 and Nannapat Koncharoenkai 28, showed resistance, but the chase still ran out of time and wickets.

NRR is often described as “how fast you score compared to how fast you concede.” When a team falls behind the required rate, it’s like trying to sprint while carrying a backpack. Every dot ball adds weight.

What the points table means now, and what to watch in the final fixtures

The updated picture is clear even without overcomplicating the math. As of January 2026, Bangladesh and the Netherlands have already qualified, while Ireland, Scotland, and the USA remain in the race for the remaining spots. Thailand has been eliminated.

If points are tight, net run rate (NRR) becomes a tiebreaker. That’s why Ireland’s 98-run win mattered so much, and why the USA needed not just a win, but also a result that didn’t damage their numbers.

As the final fixtures approach, the ESPN series fixtures and results hub is a practical bookmark for a clean schedule and results page.

Super Six and NRR explained in one minute

The Super Six is a stage where the top teams from the groups play each other, and every match can swing the points table. In most T20 tournaments, a win brings two points, and a loss brings none.

If teams finish on the same points, NRR is the main separator. Winning quickly, or losing heavily, can shift NRR enough to change who qualifies.

Qualification scenarios, in plain English

Bangladesh and the Netherlands are already through, which leaves the remaining places to be decided by the teams still chasing.

The scheduled final fixtures are:

Ireland vs Thailand: Ireland can’t relax, because NRR and points still matter. Thailand, already out, can still influence who qualifies.
Scotland vs USA: This has the feel of a must-win match, with pressure on every over.
Bangladesh vs Netherlands: Both are qualified, but positions and momentum still count, and a big win can still affect the final order.

Thailand’s tournament takeaways: what went right, and what comes next

Thailand’s exit will sting, because the team stayed competitive for long stretches and still ended up on the wrong side of the key moments. That’s often how qualifiers work. A couple of overs can outweigh a week of solid cricket.

The USA match showed both the promise and the gap. Thailand kept the USA to 128, then had batters who fought, but the chase didn’t get ahead of the game. In qualifiers, calm is a skill that takes repeated high-pressure matches to build.

For Thailand fans, the most encouraging takeaway is that the team is not far from turning these close situations into wins. The margins in T20 are thin, and the next step is learning how to win the tight middle phase, not just survive it.

The fight was there, but small gaps decided the biggest moments

Naruemol Chaiwai’s 31 and Nannapat Koncharoenkai’s 28 gave Thailand a chance to build a chase. The lesson is less about one shot and more about rhythm, singles, calling, and reducing dot balls.

Partnerships and fielding are also controllable areas. One clean over in the field, one extra two-run scramble, or one fewer soft dismissal can change the required rate late.

Why this still matters for Thailand’s long-term growth

Qualifier cricket is a hard teacher, but it’s honest. Thailand now faces a Super Six environment where every match feels like a final, which is shaping clearer roles and tougher decision-making.

What comes next is building depth, so the team can attack in the death overs with confidence, even under scoreboard pressure. Thailand’s emerging players will benefit from having played matches where the margin was small but the stakes were high.

Key stats box: top performers from the day

Batters

Leah Paul: 39
Amy Hunter: 34
Nigar Sultana Joty: 56 not out (35)
Sobhana Mostary: 47
Pooja Ganesh: 35 not out
Naruemol Chaiwai: 31
Nannapat Koncharoenkai: 28
Pippa Sproul: 27 not out

Bowlers

Jane Maguire: 3/9
Orla Prendergast: 3/13
Tara Norris: 3/22
Maahi Madhavan: 2/19
Marufa Akter: 3/25

Questions fans are asking right now

What is the Super Six stage?

It’s the phase after the group stage, where the strongest teams play each other for points. Results here carry extra weight because there are fewer matches left to recover from a loss.

What does net run rate (NRR) mean in simple terms?

NRR compares how quickly a team scores to how quickly it concedes runs. A fast win improves NRR, and a heavy loss can hurt it, even if points are the same.

What does Thailand’s elimination from the World Cup qualifier mean?

This means Thailand can no longer secure qualification places from here. The remaining teams are now battling for the remaining spots in the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 qualifier.

Why did the USA vs Thailand game feel close, but still end in a 28-run loss?

Because 129 was a low target, the chase never caught up to the required rate. Wickets fell at bad times, and slow overs created pressure that the USA bowlers used well.

When are the next matches, and which ones are the big deciders?

The final fixtures are set for Sunday: Ireland vs Thailand, Scotland vs USA, and Bangladesh vs Netherlands. Scotland vs USA stands out as the most direct pressure match because it features two teams chasing the remaining qualification places.

Scorecard summary and where to read more

Ireland vs Netherlands: Ireland 143/9, Netherlands 45 all out, Ireland won by 98 runs
Bangladesh vs Scotland: Bangladesh 191/5, Scotland 101/9, Bangladesh won by 90 runs
USA vs Thailand: USA 128 all out, Thailand 100 all out, USA won by 28 runs

For additional reporting and match context beyond this round, BBC’s coverage of the Super Six has been closely followed, including Scotland’s Super Six win over Ireland.

Conclusion

Thailand’s elimination from the World Cup qualifier is painful because the pathway was still visible, and the USA match stayed within reach for so long. Ireland’s 98-run win sent a message, and it may prove just as important for NRR as it was for points. The USA, under pressure, found a way to close out a chase-defining game and keep their hopes alive. The final fixtures now carry everything, so keep an eye on the points table and NRR after the last round.