Women’s Asia Cup: Skipper Atapattu guides Sri Lanka Women to second win

By M. Shamil Amit   

Sri Lanka Women skipper Chamari Atapattu continued her batting prowess when she slammed a 69 ball unbeaten knock of 119 inclusive of 14 boundaries and seven towering sixes to guide her side coast to a comfortable 144 run win over Malaysia Women in the seventh match of the Women’s Asia Cup tournament played at the Rangiri Dambulla Stadium yesterday.   

Skipper Atapattu winning the toss and opting to bat first underwent an early setback losing the first wicket that of in-form Vishmi Gunaratne with the score on five in the second over,   

But it did not hamper the Sri Lanka Women’s innings as from there on skipper Atapattu taking the responsibility steered the side to help them end their innings with a formidable score of 184 which came on the back of two valuable partnerships.   

The first was a second wicket stand of 64 runs in 50 balls with Harshitha Samarawickrama who made 26 and the other a quick fire 115 runs in just 62 balls for the third wicket with Anushka Sanjeewani who chipped in with a knock of 31.   

Later in the day in Malaysia Women’s run chase of 185 runs the bowling trio of left and right arm spinners Shashini Gimhani and Kavisha Dilhari and right arm pacie Kawya Kavindi combined to share seven wickets between them to bundle them out for a meager 40 runs for Sri Lanka Women to record their second successive win having earlier recorded a win by seven wickets against the Bangladesh Women.   

Sri Lanka Women are assured of the semi final berth and are scheduled to play their last league match against Thailand Women on July 24.   

Chief Scores:
Sri Lanka Women 184 for 4 in 20 overs (Anushka Sanjeewani 31, Harshitha Samarawickrama 26, Chamari Atapattu 119 n.o.: Winifred Duraisingham 2/34)   

Malaysia Women 40 in 19.5 overs (Shashini Gimhani 3/9, Kavisha Dilhari 2/4, Kawya Kavindi 2/7)