Chamari and Co. march into the Asian Games semi-finals
ThePapareNews article
The Sri Lanka women's team, playing their first match in the women's cricket event of the 20th Asian Games being held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, beat Malaysia to qualify for the semi-finals of the tournament.
In the match played at the Korogi Athletic Park ground in Nisshin, Sri Lanka won the toss, opted to bat first and posted 160 for 4 in their innings. In reply, Malaysia were restricted to 74 for 7.
Sri Lanka women's cricket team
Chamari Athapaththu (captain), Imesha Dulani, Hasini Perera, Kavisha Dilhari, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Hansima Karunaratne, Rashmika Sewwandi, Mithali Ayodhya, Kaushini Nuthyangana (wicketkeeper), Sugandika Kumari and Chamudi Prabodha.
Malaysia women's cricket team
Mas Elysa (captain), Ainna Hamizah Hashim, Wan Julia (wicketkeeper), Winifred Duraisingam, Mahirah Izzati Ismail, Nurin Imanina, Dhanusri Muhunan, Nur Dania Syuhada, Nur Arianna Natsya, Nazatul Hidayah Husna Binti Razali and Aisya Eleesa.
Batting first, Sri Lanka's innings was opened by Imesha Dulani and Chamari Athapaththu. Their partnership was limited to 6 runs off 16 balls. Imesha Dulani was run out as the first wicket to fall, having made just 2 runs.
Next, captain Chamari Athapaththu and Hasini Perera added 80 runs off 53 balls together at the crease. That partnership was broken by the dismissal of Hasini Perera. She departed having faced 26 balls and scored 23 runs with 3 fours.
Chamari Athapaththu fell as the third wicket, having faced 37 balls and made 63 runs with 7 fours and 3 sixes. It was her 14th half-century in international T20 cricket.
After her dismissal, Kavisha Dilhari and Harshitha Samarawickrama came together to add 62 runs off 37 balls for the fourth wicket. That partnership ended when Harshitha Samarawickrama was dismissed for 25 off 18 balls with 3 fours.
At the close of the Sri Lankan innings, Kavisha Dilhari was unbeaten on 44 off 27 balls with 6 fours, while Hansika Karunaratne was unbeaten on 1.
Among the wicket-takers, the 16-year-old right-arm off-spinner Nurin Imanina claimed 3 wickets for 29 runs.
Sri Lanka's bowlers did not allow Malaysia a successful start to their reply. Their first wicket fell to a run out on the fourth ball of the innings. Thereafter, Sri Lanka picked up two more wickets off the last two deliveries of the sixth over. At that stage the Malaysian innings read 25 for 3.
After that wicket came Malaysia's best partnership of the innings, between Winifred Duraisingam and Mahirah Izzati Ismail. The pair added 42 runs off 74 balls for the fourth wicket.
That partnership was broken by the dismissal of Winifred Duraisingam, who made 28 runs off 47 balls with 2 fours. In the 10 balls bowled after her dismissal, Malaysia lost three more wickets, and Mahirah Izzati Ismail, falling as the sixth wicket of the innings, had made 24 runs off 42 balls with one four.
Among the wicket-takers, Chamari Athapaththu, Kavisha Dilhari and Mithali Ayodhya claimed two wickets each.
Match scorecard in brief
- Sri Lanka women's cricket team – 160 for 4 (20.0) Chamari Athapaththu 63, Hasini Perera 23, Kavisha Dilhari 44 not out, Harshitha Samarawickrama 25, Nurin Imanina 3/29
- Malaysia women's cricket team – 74 for 7 (20.0) Winifred Duraisingam 28, Mahirah Izzati Ismail 24, Mithali Ayodhya 2/15, Kavisha Dilhari 2/04, Chamari Athapaththu 2/03
Sri Lanka women's cricket team won by 86 runs.
With this victory Sri Lanka qualified for the semi-final round, which is due to begin on the 20th of this month. There, Sri Lanka's opponents will be the Pakistan women's cricket team.
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Based on ThePapare reporting