Sri Lanka seal Women’s T20 World Cup berth

Sri Lanka joined Scotland as the second qualifier for this year’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup which will be played in Bangladesh from October 3 to 20. 
The experienced Sri Lanka side were given a run for their money by the hosts, United Arab Emirates (UAE), in defence of their 149-run total in the do-or-die clash in the second semi-final in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. 
Sri Lanka will now play Scotland in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier final at the same venue today. 
Sri Lanka were put in to bat first at the toss and openers, Vishmi Gunaratne and Captain, Chamari Atapattu, delivered a sound start in the form of a 52-run partnership, brought up in 7.2 overs. 
Atapattu (21) threatened to take the game away from the UAE with some big shots, including two consecutive sixes but allowed the UAE to breathe a sigh of relief when she was dismissed by leg-spinner, Vaishnave Mahesh (2/33).
Gunaratne then added 44 for the second wicket with Harshitha Madavi (24), the partnership was broken by Mahesh, who struck again in the 16th over. 
Gunaratne, who went past Kathryn Bryce as the tournament’s leading run scorer during her 45-run innings (180 runs in five innings), was stumped off a wide ball by Esha Oza (2/27). The right-hander hit five fours in her 44-ball innings.

After Gunaratne’s departure, middle-order batters Hasini Perera (15), Kavisha Dilhari (17) and Nilakshi De Silva (18) hit eight boundaries between them in the death overs to take the team to a competitive, 149-run total.
Oza then went on to produce one of the standout innings of the tournament as the UAE gave Sri Lanka a real fight with the bat. She lost her opening partner, Theertha Satish without scoring, in the first over of the chase. 
Oza then led the second-wicket partnership of 66 runs with Khushi Sharma (22). She added 37 for the third wicket with Kavisha Egodage (16) to keep her team in contention.
Oza played some scintillating shots in her blazing 66 off 44, which included four big sixes as Sri Lankan bowlers searched for answers. 
The Islanders got the much-needed breakthrough when the right-hander was bowled by Udeshika Prabodhani in the 16th over with the score at 108. 
During the course of her breathtaking innings, Oza went past Gunaratne as the tournament’s highest run scorer to date, 189 runs at 47.25.
The Captain’s loss derailed the UAE’s chase, the lower-order batters failing to get the required boundaries with Sri Lanka’s bowlers and fielders tightening the screws. 
The UAE’s innings continued to stutter until the end of their allotted overs, where they managed 134 for seven.
Atapattu was the best bowler of the night for Sri Lanka with two wickets for 28 in four overs. Sugandika Kumari, Inoshi Priyadharshani and Udeshika Prabodhani took a wicket each.
Chief scores:
Sri Lanka: 149/6 in 20 overs (Vishmi Gunaratne 45, Harshitha Madavi 24, Chamari Atapattu 21, Esha Oza 2/27, Vaishnave Mahesh 2/33)
UAE: 134/7 in 20 overs (Esha Oza 66, Khushi Sharma 22, Chamari Atapattu 2/28). (ICC)