Sports
Sri Lanka women secure ten wicket win over New Zealand
Sri Lanka completed a comprehensive ten wicket win over New Zealand in the third T-20 International between the countries at the P. Sara Oval yesterday. The Kiwis, or White Ferns as New Zealand women’s team is known, came into the game having taken an unassailable 2-0 lead and their hopes of completing a whitewash were squashed by the brilliant Sri Lankan opening pair.
Skipper Chamari Athapaththu and fellow opening batter Harshitha Samarawickrama made the 141-run chase look all too easy getting there with more than five overs to spare.
The Sri Lankan openers were unstoppable as they added 143 runs for the first wicket and Athapaththu celebrated her recent recognition as world’s number one ranked batter in ODI cricket with an unbeaten 80.
Athapaththu is the first Sri Lankan batter since Sanath Jayasuriya to be ranked the number one in the world by the ICC. Her impressive efforts in the ODI format are sure to earn her more accolades and opportunities in franchise cricket in other parts of the world.
Her 80 not out came off 56 deliveries with 13 fours and two sixes while Samarawickrama was unbeaten on 49 off 40 balls with seven hits to the rope.
The New Zealand bowlers failed to make a breakthrough as Sri Lanka women cruised to the target without any trouble.
After being put into bat, the White Ferns looked set to post a commanding total as they reached 65 for one in the first ten overs. The bowlers then did well to pull things back as the tourists collapsed and were restricted to 140 for nine.
Inoka Ranaweera was impressive claiming three wickets and she was well backed up by Sugandika Kumari, who claimed two wickets.
Sri Lanka came into the T-20 series full of confidence having beaten the Kiwis in the three match ODI series that preceded in Galle.
Women’s cricket in Sri Lanka has received a major boost in recent years and more girls’ schools are taking up the sport. Although games like netball, basketball and swimming are popular among girls’ schools, cricket is gradually catching up.
Brief Scores:
New Zealand Women
140 for nine in 20 overs
(Suzie Bates 37, Sophie Devine 46, Inoka Ranaweera 3-15, Sugandika Kumari 2-23)
Sri Lanka Women
142 for no loss in 14.3 overs
(Chamari Athapaththu 80*, Harshitha Samarawickrama 49*)
India qualified by virtue of being hosts while New Zealand, England, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Australia, Afghanistan and South Africa progressed from the 2020-23 ODI Super League. Sri Lanka and the Netherlands came through the qualifying tournament held in June and July 2023.
This World Cup follows a simple round-robin format with all teams playing against each other for a total of 45 league matches. The top four will qualify for the semi-finals, to be played in Mumbai on November 15 and in Kolkata on November 16. The semi-finals and the final will have reserve days.
The defending champions England and the runner-up in 2019 New Zealand will kick off the competition in two weeks’ time. The hosts, India, will begin their campaign against five-time winners Australia on October 8 and then build up to the group stage’s marquee clash with Pakistan on October 14. The matches are spread across 46 days and 10 cities with the final scheduled on November 19 in Ahmedabad.
After the recent ICC decision to offer equal prize money for both men’s and women’s events, this sets the precedent for the next Women’s World Cup in 2025.
(Cricbuzz)
Chasing 79 in the rain-reduced 15-overs-a-side quarter-final, Sri Lanka coasted to a win in 10.5 overs. Rain and a wet outfield had delayed the start of the game by close to an hour-and-a-half. Once the weather cleared, Sri Lanka opted to field under grey skies.
Udeshika Prabodhani found some movement in the air, but it was Priyadharshani who inflicted the early damage, accounting for four of the first five wickets to fall. She struck twice in her first over – the second of the innings – dismissing Suwanan Khiaoto and Natthakan Chantham. In her next over, she removed Nannapat Koncharoenkai before accounting for Naruemol Chaiwai with a smart caught and bowled.
At 37 for 6, Thailand were sinking rapidly but a 29-run stand between Chanida Sutthiruang and Phannita Maya arrested the slide a touch. Sutthiruang top-scored with an unbeaten 31 and was the only batter to get into double-digits as Thailand managed to reach 78 for 7 in 15 overs.
Chamari Athapaththu and Sanjeewani then made light work of the chase. They brought up their 50 partnership in the sixth over before Thipatcha Putthawong accounted for Athapaththu, who top edged a slog sweep.
Putthawong also removed Sanjeewani but the damage had been done by then. Thailand were not helped by their ground fielding; they committed a number of mis-fields and dropped chances. Harshitha Samarawickrama closed the game in the 11th over with a pull over deep square leg.
Sri Lanka will face Pakistan in the second semi-final on Sunday.
Brief scores:
Sri Lanka 84 for 2 (Chamari Athapaththu 27, Anushka Sanjeewani 32, Harshitha Samarawickrema 14*; Thipatcha Putthawong 2-21) beat Thailand 78 for 7 (Chanida Sutthiruang 31; Inoshi Priyadharshani 4-10, Sugandika Kumari 1-13, Chamari Athapaththu 1-13, Kavisha Dilhari 1-14) by eight wickets
France are on the brink of reaching the World Cup quarter-finals after claiming their biggest-ever win with a 96-0 victory over Namibia in Pool A.
Damian Penaud scored a hat-trick, while Jonathan Danty, Charles Ollivon and Louis Bielle-Biarry all scored twice.
Antoine Dupont, Thibaud Flament, Baptiste Couilloud and Melvyn Jaminet also crossed before a penalty try took their total tally to 14 in Marseille.
The only French cause for concern was the loss of Dupont to injury. The hosts’ captain was withdrawn during the second half following a head-on-head tackle by Johan Deysel, whose yellow card was upgraded to a red by the bunker-review system.
France head coach Fabien Galthie’s decision to keep his talisman on the field despite his side’s huge 54-point half-time advantage could be scrutinised if Dupont’s injury keeps him on the sidelines with the knockout stages looming.
Line-ups:
France: Ramos; Penaud, Fickou, Danty, Bielle-Biarry; Jalibert, Dupont; Baille, Mauvaka, Atonio; Woki, Flament; Cros, Ollivon, Jelonch.
Replacements: Bourgarit, Wardi, Aldegheri, Taofifenua, Boudehent, Couilloud, Moefana, Jaminet.
Namibia: Van der Bergh; Mouton, Deysel, Burger, Greyling; Loubser, Theron; Sethie, Van der Westhuizen, Coetzee, Tjeriko, Ludick, Katjijeko, Retief, Gaoseb.
Replacements: Nortje, Benade, Shifuka, Van Lill, Hardwick, Blaauw, Izaacs, Rossouw.
Referee: Matthew Carley (England)
(BBC Sports)
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