Sri Lanka have joined Scotland as the second qualifier for this year’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup which will be played in Bangladesh from 3 to 20 October.
The experienced Sri Lanka side was given a run for their money by hosts, United Arab Emirates (UAE), in defence of their 149-run total in the do-or-die clash in the second semi-final of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
Sri Lanka will now play Scotland in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier final at the same venue on Tuesday, 7 May.
Sri Lanka were put in to bat first at the toss and openers, Vishmi Gunaratne and captain, Chamari Athapaththu, delivered a sound start in the form of a 52-run partnership, brought up in 7.2 overs. Athapaththu (21) threatened to take the game away from the UAE with some big shots, including two consecutive sixes, but allowed the UAE to breathe a sigh of relief when she was dismissed by leg-spinner, Vaishnave Mahesh (2/33).
Gunaratne then added 44 for the second wicket with Harshitha Madavi (24), the partnership was broken by Mahesh, who struck again in the 16th over. Gunaratne, who went past Kathryn Bryce as the tournament’s leading run scorer during her 45-run innings (180 runs in five innings), was stumped off a wide ball by Esha Oza (2/27). The right-hander hit five fours in her 44-ball innings.
After Gunaratne’s departure, middle-order batters Hasini Perera (15), Kavisha Dilhari (17) and Nilakshi De Silva (18) hit eight boundaries between them in the death overs to take the team to a competitive, 149-run total.
Oza then went on to produce one of the standout innings of the tournament as the UAE gave Sri Lanka a real fight with the bat. She lost her opening partner, Theertha Satish without scoring, in the first over of the chase. Oza then led the second-wicket partnership of 66 runs with Khushi Sharma (22). She added 37 for the third wicket with Kavisha Egodage (16) to keep her team in contention.
