Thailand created history in Bangkok, lifting the maiden ICC Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy after a tense three-wicket win over Scotland in the virtual final. In a fiercely competitive 10-team tournament, four sides - Thailand, Scotland, Netherlands and UAE - finished with five wins each, but the hosts triumphed thanks to their superior net run rate after a composed, disciplined campaign.

Putthawong’s brilliance and Chaiwai’s calm seal Thailand’s historic win

The final day began with high stakes as Scotland, who had dominated large parts of the tournament, elected to bat first against Thailand. Their decision quickly backfired. Thailand’s young left-arm spinner Thipatcha Putthawong, opening the bowling, produced a sensational spell of 4/17. Alongside her, leg-spinner Suleeporn Laomi tightened the screws with 3/11. The Scottish innings never recovered, folding for just 63 in 15.1 overs, with no batter reaching double figures.

Despite the modest chase, Scotland fought back brilliantly. Teenager Olivia Bell delivered a stunning spell of 5/8, reducing Thailand to 34/5 and momentarily flipping the game on its head. But Thai skipper Naruemol Chaiwai stood firm amidst the chaos. Her calm and crucial 17 off 21* anchored the innings, guiding Thailand inch by inch towards the historic win. With nerves running high, Onnicha Kamchomphu sealed the victory in style, launching a six to take Thailand to 65/7 in 11.4 overs, sparking celebrations across the home crowd.

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Hosts shine brightest as emerging nations deliver a thrilling first edition

Earlier in the day, Netherlands capped off their campaign with a strong win over Uganda, while UAE stayed in contention with an emphatic victory over Namibia, driven by a superb 114-run opening stand between Esha Oza and Theertha Satish. Papua New Guinea also ended on a high, beating Tanzania by 20 runs.

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🇹🇭 THAILAND WIN!

Thailand Women beat Scotland by 3 wickets in a tense finish! 💥👏

A gritty chase and a well-deserved victory at AIT!

💙❤️Proud moment for Thailand Cricket!#ICCWomensemergingnationstrophy pic.twitter.com/FLXjAyAcc0

— Cricket Thailand (@ThailandCricket) November 30, 2025

Thailand’s triumph was built on consistency, composure and breakout performances. Putthawong finished as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with 15 wickets, while Natthakan Chantham and Chaiwai played decisive roles with the bat. The inaugural edition showcased competitive cricket, emerging talent and dramatic finishes, and fittingly, it ended with the hosts scripting an unforgettable chapter in their cricketing journey.

Tom Bruce, the top-order New Zealand batter, has shifted his base to Scotland and will feature in the Cricket World Cup League 2 matches in the Canada leg, starting from August 27, for the new side. Having represented the development side of the country in 2016, he got the qualification to play due to his Edinburgh-born father.

Bruce later played domestic cricket for Central Districts in New Zealand since 2014 and represented the national side in 17 T20Is between 2017 and 2020, as his most recent appearance came at the Global Super League in Guyana during the T20 competition. Overall, the right-handed batter has clubbed 279 T20I runs in 17 innings at a strike rate of 122.36.

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“There's a long Scottish history within my family, and I know they will be incredibly proud that I am representing Scotland on the world stage. I've been fortunate enough to play for New Zealand five years ago, and I want to continue to showcase my skills on the world stage, and help the Scotland team achieve success, as I know the group is capable of achieving success and continuing to grow as a team.” The statement of Cricket Scotland, as Bruce quoted, says.  

New Zealand batter Tom Bruce switches to Scotland for World Cup League 2 matches

Bruce made a name for himself when he collected 223 runs at a strike rate of above 140 for CD during the 2015-16 Super Smash. Another good season in the following Super Smash saw him earn a contract in the Kiwi squad for the T20I series against Bangladesh. However, he couldn’t achieve the same success in international cricket as he did in the domestic games.

“I was involved briefly in the setup back in 2016, and it was an awesome experience. I played alongside and against a lot of the current group of Scotland players, and it's been great following their development through the years, and I'm looking forward to linking up with them again.” Bruce shed light.

Doug Wayson, the men’s head coach of the Scotland side, was excited to get Bruce into the team. “I'm very excited about Tom joining the group; not only is he a world-class cricketer, but he brings a whole range of experience; he's played a lot of 50-over and T20 cricket.”