Chamari guides Sri Lanka women to get solitary win over Pakistan
Skipper Chamari Athapaththu notched up her sixth ODI century as the Sri Lanka women’s team defeated the Pakistan women’s team by 93 runs in their third and final ODI played at Karachi yesterday.
Sri Lankan lasses lost their previous two ODIs but they made a good effort to win the final ODI to finish the tour on a winning note. This is the solitary win for Sri Lanka while they lost the T20 series 0-3 and once again lost the ODI series 1-2 during this tour.
The experienced Chamari Athapaththu was not up to the expectations during the previous games and that was the main reason for Sri Lankans could not win the games. Yesterday, Athapaththu, the 32-year-old left-hander played an anchor role scoring a superb knock of 101 in 85 balls with 13 fours and a six while capturing 2 for 20 in her six overs spell as an off spinner guided to get a solitary in the series.
Sri Lankan lasses chose to bat first scoring 260 for 7 wickets in 50 overs. Apart from Athapaththu, young Harshitha Madavi, the 23-year-old left-hander played a good supporting role scoring 75 runs in 128 balls with 3 fours guided to score a formidable total of 260 for 7 wickets which is the highest team total of this series.
Pakistan women were unable to make a good start during their innings while skipper Athapaththu was able to produce a superb fielding effort to dismiss opener Muneeba Ali who scored 16 while Athapaththu took the wicket of the co-opener and in-form batter, Sidra Ameen, for 19 runs. Omaima Sohail (40) and Aliya Riaz (56) made useful knocks while Sri Lanka fielders took 3 runouts to put pressure on Pakistan as they were all out for 161 in 41.4 overs. The right-arm medium-fast bowler Oshadi Ranasinghe bowled well capturing 2 for 29 and also made a supporting role to help Skipper Athapaththu to get this win.
The skipper Chamari Athapaththu was adjudged player of the game while Pakistani opener Sidra Ameen who scored 218 runs with an average of 72.66 was named player of the series.
Chamari Atapattu the skipper said, “I am happy with team performance as well as my performance during this last game. We came to Pakistan after 15 years. Actually adapting to the conditions was tough. But ultimately finished with a win which gave good confidence before the next India series. Especially I must thank Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for having this tour and we will have to play tough Indian series in future. However if we will play well we can make good results and we should go well,” added Atapattu.
Chief scores
Sri Lanka women’s: 260 for 7 wickets in 50 overs (Chamari Athapaththu 101, Harshitha Madavi 75, Kavisha Dilhara 28, Nilakshi de Silva 24, Anam Amin 2/43, Fatima Sana 2/51)
Pakistan women’s: 161 all out in 41.4 overs (Omaima Sohail 40, Aliya Riaz 56, Oshadi Ranasinghe 2/ 29, Chamari Atapattu 2/20)