It is a crucial week for Sri Lankan cricket. The men’s team has been in the doldrums for more than a decade. Since winning the T20 World Cup in 2014, Sri Lanka have struggled to make an impact on the global stage. Reaching the semi-finals of an ICC event has proved elusive, while there have been occasions when the team was forced to play qualifying rounds alongside Associate nations. Last year, they even failed to qualify for the Champions Trophy, underlining how far standards had slipped.

In contrast, Sri Lanka’s women’s cricket has been on a remarkable upward trajectory and this week could well prove to be a defining one.

Earlier this week, Chamari Atapattu’s side created history when they defeated New Zealand for the first time in a Women’s T20 World Cup. The White Ferns are the defending champions and among the favourites for the title, but Sri Lanka pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the tournament with a stunning come from behind victory. Sunday’s clash against West Indies in Bristol has now assumed enormous significance, with a win greatly enhancing their hopes of reaching the semi-finals.

Sri Lanka’s remaining group games are against Ireland and Scotland and on paper, they should start as favourites. Should they progress to the last four, it will mark the first time Sri Lanka women have reached the semi-finals of an ICC event. Exciting times indeed lie ahead.

A place in the semi-finals would not only elevate Sri Lanka’s standing in world cricket but also bring substantial financial rewards. The prize money for reaching the last four stands at USD 800,000, meaning each player could receive around USD 50,000. For many of these players, that money would be life changing.

Most of them hail from far flung towns and villages such as Buttala, Nivitigala, Seenigama, Kantale, Anamaduwa and Akuressa. One can only imagine the difference such a windfall would make to their families. They richly deserve the rewards and their success will undoubtedly inspire many more young girls to take up the game.

While Sri Lanka Cricket deserves immense credit for investing heavily in women’s cricket, introducing central contracts and providing respectable match fees, one man has quietly gone about his work without seeking the limelight; former SLC Secretary Kushil Gunasekara.

The former Ananda College cricketer runs a charitable foundation in his hometown of Seenigama that has transformed hundreds of lives. Sport is at the heart of the project. Not just cricket, but badminton, table tennis and swimming are all actively promoted. In cricket, while the boys’ teams have sprung surprises against traditional powerhouses such as S. Thomas’ College and Royal College, the girls have made an even greater impact. Nearly half of Sri Lanka’s Under-19 women’s team are graduates of the Seenigama academy.

Philanthropist Gunasekara’s contribution has not gone unnoticed overseas. English counties Surrey and Middlesex have funded his projects while the Marylebone Cricket Club has also recognised his outstanding service to the game by making him an honorary member.

As Sri Lanka’s women stand on the brink of history, there are many unsung heroes who have helped lay the foundations. Their time in the spotlight may finally have arrived.

Rex Clementine in Bristol