Chamari and Co. into the gold medal battle at the Asian Games
ThePapareNews article
Sri Lanka's women booked their place in the final of the women's cricket event at the 20th Asian Games, being held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, today (20).
It was Pakistan who went down to them in the first semi-final of the tournament, played at the Korogi Athletic Park ground in Nisshin. Pakistan had earlier also been beaten by Sri Lanka at the semi-final stage of the Asia Cup tournament organised by the Asian Cricket Council.
Winning the toss in this match, which concluded today (20), the Sri Lankan women handed the first batting opportunity to their opponents. Batting first, Pakistan posted 177 for 4. In reply, the Sri Lankan women carried the match to victory with 13 balls still to spare, losing only 2 wickets.
Sri Lanka women's cricket team
Chamari Athapaththu (captain), Imesha Dulani, Hasini Perera, Kavisha Dilhari, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Hansima Karunaratne, Mithali Ayodhya, Kaushini Nuthyangana (wicketkeeper), Sugandika Kumari, Kavya Kavindi and Chamudi Prabodha.
Pakistan women's cricket team
Fatima Sana (captain), Gull Feroza (wicketkeeper), Shawaal Zulfiqar, Saira Jabeen, Ayesha Zafar, Eyman Fatima, Umm-e-Hani, Tuba Hassan, Nashra Sandhu, Momina Riasat and Aliya Riaz.
Although Pakistan, who batted first, lost their opening two wickets with the score on 35, Shawaal Zulfiqar and Ayesha Zafar put together a 115-run stand off 70 balls for the third wicket.
That partnership was broken when Ayesha Zafar was run out. By then she had faced 40 balls and made 71 runs with 9 fours and 2 sixes.
Shawaal Zulfiqar, who fell as the fourth wicket of the innings, had faced 50 balls for her 54 runs with 3 fours and 2 sixes.
In addition, at the close of the Pakistan innings captain Fatima Sana was unbeaten on 20 off 12 balls with a six and a couple of fours.
Among the wicket-takers, Kavya Kavindi, Chamari Athapaththu and Sugandika Kumari claimed a wicket apiece.
Imesha Dulani and Chamari Athapaththu opened the batting in Sri Lanka's reply. The pair added 36 runs off 28 balls for the first wicket.
That stand ended with the dismissal of Imesha Dulani. She had faced 21 balls for 27 runs with 5 fours.
After her departure, captain Chamari Athapaththu joined Hasini Perera to build a 95-run stand off 56 balls for the third wicket. Ending that partnership, Hasini Perera departed having faced 26 balls for 42 runs with 3 fours and 3 sixes.
As Sri Lanka's innings ended in victory, Chamari Athapaththu was unbeaten on 83 off 50 balls with 7 fours and 6 sixes. It was her second successive half-century in this tournament.
Harshitha Samarawickrama, who stayed unbeaten at the other end alongside her, faced 12 balls for an unbeaten 17 with 2 fours. The pair had added an unbroken 47 runs off 23 balls for the third wicket.
Among the wicket-takers, Fatima Sana and Nashra Sandhu took a wicket each.
Brief scores of the match
- Pakistan women's cricket team – 177 for 4 (20.0) Shawaal Zulfiqar 54, Ayesha Zafar 71, Fatima Sana 20 not out, Kavya Kavindi 1/13
- Sri Lanka women's cricket team – 178 for 2 (17.5) Imesha Dulani 27, Chamari Athapaththu 83 not out, Hasini Perera 42, Harshitha Samarawickrama 17 not out, Fatima Sana 1/24
Sri Lanka women's cricket team won by 8 wickets.
With this win the Sri Lankan women qualified for the final to be played on the 22nd, while the defeated Pakistan women qualified for the third-place play-off of the tournament.
The opponents for both those teams will be decided by the outcome of the second semi-final between India and Bangladesh.
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Based on ThePapare reporting