Sri Lanka saw off a late charge by Malaysia to seal a dramatic 62-59 win in their 2nd game of the Cup category in the 11th Asian Netball Championship 2018 at the OCBC Arena, Singapore.
Strong showing by Sri Lanka against Singapore
Sri Lanka led by the reliable Tharjini Sivalingam, won their match 74-61 in…
As was witnessed in the game against Singapore yesterday (4th Sep) Sri Lanka were slow to get off the blocks and Malaysia took full advantage, going into the 1stquarter with a narrow 2 goal lead. (13-15)
Though the early exchanges were lost, Sri Lanka battled back to within striking distance of the defending champions after conceding a four goal lead midway through the quarter.
Sri Lanka got back into their element in the 2nd quarter as Goal Shooter Tharjini Sivalingam battled against a very physical Malaysian defense, making shot after shot to ensure that the opponents didn’t get too far ahead.
The defensive efforts of captain Chathurangi Jayasooriya and Gayani Dissanayake paid off as the pair combined for numerous turnovers as Sri Lanka went into the break with a 5 goal cushion.
Half Time – Sri Lanka 32 – 27 Malaysia
Malaysia once again tightened things up in the 3rd quarter as their defensive pair looked to keep Tharjini as far away as possible from the goal post.
The physical defensive tactics saw Sri Lanka make a number of errors with passes to Tharjini but the Lankans managed to hold on to the lead at the end of the 3rdquarter. (48-42)
Sri Lanka equip themselves for Asian showdown
The 11th Asian Netball Championship 2018 will commence at the OCBC Arena at Singapore….
The final quarter saw Sri Lanka pull away to a comfortable 8-goal lead midway through. Malaysia fought in the final 3-5 minutes however, to give Sri Lanka a scare as many a pass went awry.
Nevertheless, Sri Lanka held on to register a 3-goal win and extend their winning streak to 4 games.
Full Time – Sri Lanka 62 – 59 Malaysia
Sri Lanka will play their final league game against Hong Kong tomorrow, after which the semi-final matchups will be decided.
