Atapattu leads Sri Lanka to Commonwealth Games

Sri Lanka women’s team

By Lakshman Ranasinghe

Chamari Atapattu, the Sri Lankan Women’s skipper, led from the front to guide her team to a thrilling 22-run victory over Bangladesh in the Commonwealth Games Women’s Cricket qualifier tournament final played in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.   

Batting first, Sri Lanka scored 136 for 6 wickets in their allotted 20 overs.   

Atapattu top scored with 48 runs off 25 deliveries including six hits to the ropes and three over it.   
Nilakshi De Silva and Anushka Sanjeewani too contributed with 28 and 20 runs scored off 28 and 16 balls respectively. Nahida Akter was the most successful bowler, to capture two wickets.   

Chasing a victory target of 137 to win, Bangladesh’s middle order batters made the Sri Lankan bowlers toil hard with Murshida Khatun top scoring with 36 runs off an equal number of deliveries. She was lent a good hand by Fargana Hoque (33 in 39 balls) and skipper Nigar Sultana 20.   

The three were making a steady progress in guiding Bangladesh to victory and at one stage they were comfortably placed with three for 93 off 15.3 overs. With their dismissals of the three main scorers at regular intervals saw the rest of Bengali batters falling cheaply to Sri Lankan attack spearheaded by Atapattu.   

Skipper Atapattu joining the attack late kept a nagging length varying the ball in different angles. Bangladesh late order found the Lankan attack too hot to handle and were dismissed for 114 for the loss of five wickets to hand over a much needed victory for the Lankans.   

For her fine all-round performance in the series Atapattu was adjudged the Player of the Series.

Chief Scores
Sri Lanka 136 for 6 in 20 overs (Chamari Atapattu 48, Nilakshi De Silva 28, Anushka Sanjeevani 20 n.o., Nahida Akter 2 for 34)   
Bangladesh 114 for 5 in 20 overs (Murshida Khatun 36, Fargana Hoque 33, Nigar Sultana 20, Chamari Atapattu 3 for 17, and Ama Kanchana 1 for 13)