Sri Lanka qualified for the final of Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2024 as they registered a thrilling win over Pakistan in the semifinal encounter played today (26th July) at Dambulla International Cricket Stadium.
Having won the toss, Sri Lanka skipper Chamari Athapaththu invited Pakistan to take the first lease of the wicket.
The Pakistan opening pair, Gull Feroza and Muneeba Ali, dominated the powerplay, adding 45 runs. The duo ended up having a 61-run stand for the first wicket.
Once Pakistan lost their openers, the hosts somewhat pulled things back by picking a couple of more wickets. Middle-order batters Fatima Sana and Aliya Riaz played cameos and powered Pakistan over the 140-run mark. Udeshika Prabodhani and Kavisha Dilhari were the standout performers with the ball for Sri Lanka, each bagging 2 wickets.
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Sri Lanka got off to a cautious start in the run chase, losing the in-form opening batter Vishmi Gunaratne and No. 3 batter Harshitha Samarawickrama inside the powerplay.
The hosts kept losing wickets throughout the chase. However, the skipper Athapaththu played a fighting knock, notching up a brave fifty. She lost her wicket before the closing stages.
The wicketkeeper-batter Anushka Sanjeewani kept the fight alive. Not only did she stay till the end, but she also hit the winning run.
Sri Lanka will meet the defending champions, India, in the final of the tournament on the 28th of July at the same venue.
Brief Scores
Pakistan – 140/4 (20) Muneeba Ali 37, Gull Feroza 25, Fatima Sana 23*, Nida Dar 23, Udeshika Prabodhani 2/23, Kavisha Dilhari 2/30
Sri Lanka – 141/7 (19.5) Chamari Athapaththu 63, Anushka Sanjeewani 24*, Sadila Iqbal 4/16
Result – Sri Lanka won by 3 wickets
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