Scotland Women made a winning start to the ICC Women's Emerging Nations Trophy, beating Papua New Guinea Women by seven wickets at the Seven Districts Ground in Ajman on Thursday, 12 November.

Katherine Fraser was the star of the match, taking three wickets for 10 runs as Papua New Guinea were bowled out for 93, then top-scoring with 45 from 29 balls as Scotland chased the target down in 13.1 overs, with 41 balls to spare. Fraser was named player of the match for a superb all-round display on the opening day of the tournament in the United Arab Emirates.

Fraser leads the way with the ball

Scotland won the toss and chose to bowl first, and their attack kept Papua New Guinea under pressure from the start. The batters struggled to build partnerships, and regular wickets kept the scoring rate in check as Papua New Guinea were dismissed for 93 in their 20 overs.

Fraser led the Scottish bowling attack with a fine spell of three for 10 from her four overs. She was well supported by Kirstie Gordon, who claimed two for 15, while captain Kathryn Bryce was economical with one for 15.

Pauka Siaka top-scored for Papua New Guinea with 24 from 28 balls, and Tanya Ruma added 22 from 31 deliveries, but no other batter was able to build a lasting innings. Once the pair were separated, the lower order could not lift the total beyond 93, leaving Scotland with a modest target to chase.

Fraser anchors the chase

Scotland's reply began with a small wobble. Opener Darcey Carter fell for eight and captain Bryce was dismissed for 14, but Fraser steadied the innings in style. She struck seven fours and a six in a fluent 45 from just 29 balls, taking the game away from Papua New Guinea before she was dismissed with the finish line in sight.

Unbeaten knocks from Sarah Bryce, on 12, and Pippa Sproul, on 11, then safely guided Scotland across the line at 95 for three in 13.1 overs. The seven-wicket win, sealed with more than six overs unused, gave Scotland an early boost to their net run rate in Group A.

Group A takes shape

The result puts Scotland in a strong early position in Group A, where they are scheduled to face Sri Lanka on Friday. Sri Lanka opened the tournament with a commanding 10-wicket win over Ireland earlier on Thursday, so the meeting between the two opening-day winners promises to be a key early contest.

Papua New Guinea, meanwhile, will look to bounce back quickly from a tough start. Their batters found runs hard to come by against a disciplined Scottish attack, and they will need a much stronger showing with the bat in their next match if they are to stay in contention.

The ICC Women's Emerging Nations Trophy features 10 teams split into two groups of five, followed by a Super Six stage, with the final scheduled for 25 November. Scotland's opening win, built on Fraser's match-winning contribution with bat and ball, is exactly the start they would have wanted.

Sources: ICC, Cricbuzz