Sri Lanka scripted history after defeating England in the 3rd and final Women’s T20I to clinch the series. This was Sri Lanka’s first series win against the English side in any format.
Electing to bowl after winning the toss, the Islanders put on a commendable performance in the field to restrict the hosts to 116 runs. England struggled to find their rhythm from the start, losing wickets at regular intervals. Danielle Wyatt failed to make an impact, scoring a golden duck.
Maia Bouchier provided some resistance with 23 runs off 18 balls. However, wickets continued to tumble as Alice Capsey (9), Heather Knight (18), and Amy Jones (20) failed to convert their starts into substantial scores.
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Chamari Athapaththu’s all-round show helps Sri Lanka script history
Sri Lanka’s bowlers put up a disciplined performance to restrict the home team. Captain Chamari Athapaththu, who later starred with the bat, was the pick of the bowlers, finishing with figures of 3 wickets for 21 runs in her four overs. Kavisha Dilhari and Udeshika Prabodhani contributed with two wickets each, helping keep the pressure on the English batters.
Chasing the paltry target of 117 runs, the tourists got off to a solid start. Athapaththu played a magnificent knock, scoring 44 runs off 28 balls, including five boundaries and two towering sixes. Anushka Sanjeewani (20) and Harshitha Samarawickrama (26) provided valuable contributions in the middle order. Despite losing a few wickets, the Sri Lankan team comfortably reached the target in the 17th over.
England Women’s bowlers struggled to break partnerships and pick up wickets. Sarah Glenn was the most successful bowler for England, finishing with figures of 2 wickets for 23 runs in her four overs. However, the other bowlers failed to make a significant impact. Athapaththu’s stellar all-round performance earned her the well-deserved title of Player of the Match.
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This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.
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