Connect with us

Sports

Sri Lanka and Ireland make promising starts

Published

2 years ago

on

Sri Lanka beat Thailand by 67 runs

ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier 2024

The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier began in Abu Dhabi on Thursday. Sri Lanka and Ireland won the opening two matches at Tolerance Oval and Zayed Cricket Stadium respectively.

Sri Lanka overcame Thailand while Ireland defeated the hosts, United Arab Emirates (UAE), both winners recorded convincing victories over their opponents.

At Zayed Cricket Stadium, Eimear Richardson starred with an all-round performance for Ireland. Sri Lanka’s bowlers produced a stellar performance as they bowled Thailand out for 55 at the Tolerance Oval.

Sri Lanka vs Thailand

A disciplined bowling performance from Thailand restricted one of the favourites in the tournament, Sri Lanka, to 122/5 in 20 overs at the Tolerance Oval in Abu Dhabi.

Opting to bat first, Sri Lanka got off to a slow start in the Powerplay with captain, Chamari Athapaththu and Vishmi Gunaratne taking their time to settle in.

Chanida Sutthiruang sent back Gunaratne for 13 inside the Powerplay, but the big blow came right after the restrictions when Athapaththu was run out by a brilliant bit of fielding.

Hasini Perera dropped anchor at one end, but Thailand managed to find a couple of breakthroughs from the other end to keep the scoring rate under control. Eventually, Perera too was trapped in front by Sunida Chaturongrattana for 29 and Sri Lanka slipped to a precarious 78/5 with just over five overs remaining in the innings.

Nilakshi de Silva and Anushka Sanjeewani joined hands in a crucial stand that drove Sri Lanka out of the woods. De Silva finished unbeaten for 29 (20 balls), while Anushka made 13 off 15 as Sri Lanka finished on 122/5.

In response, Udeshika Prabodhani and Inoshi Priyadharshani led Sri Lanka’s bowling effort with only one batter making double digits.

While Thailand got off to a decent start with 29 runs on the board in the Powerplay for the loss of one, wickets tumbled soon after as Sri Lanka displayed their strength with the ball.

Prabhodhani, Kavisha Dilhari and Achini Kulasuriya helped Sri Lanka reduce Thailand to 40/5 and things went further downhill for Thailand as three wickets fell in the 14th over, bowled by Priyadharshani.

They slipped to 45/8 and were eventually bowled out for 55 with Athapaththu wrapping up the innings with the final wicket.Priyadharshani starred with 3 for 14 in her four overs while Prabodhani took 2 for 10 in her three overs.

Ireland vs UAE

Esha Oza got UAE off to a flier with an onslaught on Alana Dalzell in the second over of the game, but the bowler had the last laugh when she sent the opener back off the final ball of the over.

Theertha Satish and Khushi Sharma rebuilt the innings for UAE with a solid partnership that came at a pretty good rate, but Ireland launched a spirited comeback into the game that saw the UAE innings unravel pretty quickly.

From 64/1, UAE slipped to 77/7 in the space of five overs as Arlene Kelly, Cara Murray and Richardson shared the spoils. The talented Kavisha Egodage was run out to add to UAE’s woes.

The lower order could not muster much of a fight as UAE finished on 105/9 in 20 overs, despite the promising start they had to the innings.

Kelly and Richardson claimed two wickets apiece and were the pick of Ireland’s bowlers.

In response, Ireland raced off the blocks with Amy Hunter and Gaby Lewis in great touch. The duo smashed 52 in the Powerplay, before Lewis departed off the final ball of the sixth over, edging Egodage to the wicketkeeper for a 22-ball 27.

Oza struck in successive overs with the big wickets of Laura Delany and Rebecca Stokell as Ireland stumbled to 68/4.

Orla Prendergast found able support from Richardson and Ireland kept the innings stable. The duo remained unbeaten and wiped off the target with more than three overs to spare as Ireland got their campaign off to a winning start.

Scores in brief:

Match 1:

Sri Lanka beat Thailand by 67 runs

Sri Lanka 122 for 5 in 20 overs (Nilakshi De Silva 29 not out, Hasini Perera 29; Chanida Sutthiruang 1-15, Sunida Chaturongrattana 1-15)

Thailand 55 all out in 16.2 overs (Nannapat Koncharoenkai 18; Inoshi Priyadharshani 3-14, Udeshika Prabodhani 1-10)

Player of the match

– Inoshi Priyadharshani

Match 2:

Ireland beat UAE by six wickets

UAE 105 for 9 in 20 overs (Khushi Sharma 24, Theertha Satish 22; Arlene Kelly 2-12, Eimear Richardson 2-15)

Ireland 106 for 4 in 16.1 overs (Gaby Lewis 27, Amy Hunter 25, Eimear Richardson 22 not out, Amy Hunter 22 not out; Esha Oza 3-13)

Player of the match – Eimear Richardson

(ICC)


Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest News

Zimbabwean Tavengwa Mukuhlani appointed Deputy Chair of the ICC until November 2027.

Published

10 hours ago

on

2026/09/17

By

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has appointed Tavengwa Mukuhlani as its Deputy Chairperson through November 2027.

Mukuhlani, who currently serves as the Chairman of Zimbabwe Cricket and represents the nation on the ICC Board, is set to take over the position from Imran Khwaja, following the latter’s departure.

Mukuhlani serves on the ICC Finance and Commercial Affairs (F&CA) and Nominations Committees, and he chairs the HR and Remuneration Committee. He will become the first Zimbabwean to be appointed as the Deputy Chair of the ICC.

His appointment comes at a pivotal moment for African cricket as Zimbabwe prepare to co-host the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027 alongside South Africa and Namibia. Leveraging his extensive leadership at Zimbabwe Cricket and regional expertise, Mukuhlani will provide valuable direction as the ICC brings the flagship tournament back to Africa for the first time in 24 years.

ICC Chairman, Jay Shah said, “I warmly congratulate Tavengwa Mukuhlani on his appointment as Deputy Chair of the ICC.  “His experience in cricket administration, understanding of the global game and commitment to its development will be invaluable to the ICC Board.

“Tavengwa has earned the confidence of his fellow Directors, and I look forward to working closely with him to strengthen cricket across our Members and create greater opportunities for the game to grow worldwide. His election is also a significant milestone for Zimbabwe, as he becomes the first Zimbabwean to serve as Deputy Chair.

“With cricket expanding globally and returning to the Olympic Games, strong leadership will be vital. I wish Tavengwa every success in his new role.”

Tavengwa Mukuhlani said, “I am deeply honoured by the confidence placed in me by my fellow ICC Board Directors and grateful for the opportunity to serve as Deputy Chair of the ICC. “I look forward to working closely with our Chairman, Mr. Jay Shah, whose leadership, energy and ambition have brought a clear sense of purpose to the ICC, with a strong focus on growing cricket, creating opportunities for our Members and reaching new audiences and markets.

“Cricket is entering an exciting period, particularly with its return to the Olympic Games and continued global expansion. I look forward to supporting our Chairman, Mr. Jay Shah and fellow board directors in advancing our shared priorities and serving the best interests of cricket globally.”

[ICC]

Continue Reading

Latest News

Isle of Man teenage all-rounder Lucy Barnett ICC Women’s Player of the Month for August 2026

Published

11 hours ago

on

2026/09/17

By

Lucy Barnett takes home her maiden ICC Women's Player of the Month accolade.[ICC]

Lucy Barnett played a pivotal role in Isle of Man’s run to the Women’s Continental Cup final, finishing the tournament as the leading run-scorer.

The 19-year-old beat competitions from Suleeporn Laomi and Nannapt Koncharoenkai of Thailand to the award.

She enjoyed an outstanding campaign, registering a century and two fifties across the competition.

Barnett began with an unbeaten 71 against Romania, guiding Isle of Man to a comfortable run chase in just 13.1 overs.

After scoring only four runs against Greece, she responded in spectacular fashion against Norway, smashing an unbeaten 123 from 64 balls to help her side finish top of the group.

She also made an impact with the ball in those two matches, taking 1/8 against Greece and 1/11 against Norway.

Her strong run continued in the final against Turkey, where she was Isle of Man’s highest scorer with a 59, while also contributing two wickets for 22 runs.

Across four T20Is, Barnett amassed 257 runs at an exceptional average of 128.50 and a strike rate of 178.47.

With the ball, she claimed four wickets at an economy rate of 3.80 and an average of 14.25.

Speaking on the recognition, Barnett revealed the award gives her an added motivation to keep performing at the highest level.

“Winning the ICC Player of the Month award is an incredible feeling and, honestly, still feels a little unbelievable as I am making history of sorts for the Isle of Man,” Barnett said.

“I knew I had a strong month, but to be recognised ahead of so many others is something I’m immensely proud of and will cherish for a very long time.

“It’s a fantastic time for women’s cricket, and to have the spotlight on me now is a truly special feeling.

“I’m grateful to the ICC for this honour and to all my team-mates, coaches and officials who have made my international journey such an enjoyable and rewarding one.

“This award gives me even more motivation to keep pushing myself, and I hope to carry this form into the matches ahead and create many more special moments for my team.”

[ICC]

Continue Reading

Latest News

Sonal Dinusha named the ICC Men’s Player of the Month for August 2026.

Published

11 hours ago

on

2026/09/17

By

Sonal Dinusha [ICC]

Sonal Dinusha has been named the ICC Men’s Player of the Month for August 2026.

This marks Dinusha being crowned with the accolade for the first time in his career.

Having played only three Tests for Sri Lanka coming into the ICC World Test Championship series against India, the left-handed batter was the leading run-getter in the two-match series.

Dinusha finished with 420 runs, averaging a spectacular 140, with three centuries and a half-century to his name.

“This recognition means so much to me, especially so early in my career, and I’m truly grateful to the ICC for this honour,” Dinusha said while reflecting on his latest achievement.

While Sri Lanka lost the first Test by 165 runs, Dinusha managed to score 100 in the first innings, followed by 84 runs in the second.

In the second Test, with the hosts battling to avoid a series sweep, Dinusha scored twin centuries in the two innings (103 and an unbeaten 133) to orchestrate a famous draw.

“The series against India will always hold a special place in my heart,” Dinusha added.

“Scoring three centuries was a dream come true, made even more meaningful by achieving them in Colombo and Galle in front of our home fans.  “Although we didn’t get the overall result we hoped for, the way our team fought back in the second match showed the character, belief and determination we have as a side. I’m proud to have shared that fight with my teammates.

Dinusha made his Test debut for Sri Lanka last year, during the home series against Bangladesh.

In a short time, the all-rounder has made a big impact while representing his team in the longest format, an achievement he isn’t taking for granted.

“Representing Sri Lanka is a privilege I never take for granted, and this recognition gives me even more motivation to keep learning, improving and contributing to the team.

“I’ll continue to give my very best for Sri Lanka in the months and years ahead.”

The hosts managed to keep the series at 1-0, and Dinusha was named the Player of the Match in Colombo.

[ICC]

Continue Reading

Trending