Sri Lanka face tough challenge for Commonwealth glory

By Lakshman Ranasinghe

Sri Lanka Women’s team will battle alongside England, New Zealand and South Africa at the Commonwealth Games, after breezing through the ICC’s Commonwealth Games qualifying tournament in Kuala Lumpur last month. 

If they progress out of the tough Group ‘B’, they will go on to face the likes of Australia, India, Pakistan and Barbados, who are slotted in Group ‘A’. 

The Lankan lasses won the Commonwealth qualifier mainly due to the all-round performance of skipper Chamari Atapattu who carried the responsibility in both batting and bowling while others lent their support in the best of their ability to gain qualification for the mega event.

In this event Sri Lanka will rub shoulders with much more stronger teams and their performances will be closely monitored by the millions of local cricket fans.

The competition will get off to a start when last year’s Women’s T20 World Cup finalists India and Australia meet each other at Edgbaston in Birmingham on July 29. 

All matches will be played at the Edgbaston, Birmingham.

This T20 tournament will be played in a league and then knock-out format. The competition will come to a close on August 7 with the final match.

Sri Lanka women are expected to carry forward the good work from where they left in the qualifier rounds and every member of the team is confident that they are capable of giving the oppositions a good run.

Fixtures
Group ‘A’: July 29 - Australia vs. India, July 31 - India vs. Pakistan and Barbados vs. Australia, August 3 - Australia vs. Pakistan and India vs. Barbados
Group ‘B’: July 30 - New Zealand vs. South Africa and (England vs. Sri Lanka), August 2 - England vs. South Africa and Sri Lanka vs. New Zealand, August 4 - South Africa vs. Sri Lanka and England vs. New Zealan d
August 6 – Semi-Finals, August 7 – Finals