The stage was set in Bristol on Tuesday for the 20th match of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cupand Sri Lankan captain Chamari Athapaththu It ensured that this day would go down in the history books. In a breathtaking display of dominance, sri lanka women Won a spectacular victory by nine wickets ireland woman in their crucial Group 2 clash. Chasing a modest target of 131, the Sri Lankans demolished the Irish defense with 27 balls to spare, thanks to a masterclass by their fearless captain.
Sri Lanka’s bowling attack restricted Ireland to a low score
Ireland Women struggled to find their rhythm early on, facing a consistent and highly disciplined Sri Lankan bowling unit. The uproar started in the power play itself. amy hunter Was out without facing a single ball, run out in the very first over. After just a few deliveries, Orla Prendergast Was stumped sharply for a duck on the ball of Sugandhika Kumari. When? Rebecca Stokell Was out on 13 runs on the ball of Mithali AyodhyaIreland found themselves in trouble at 19 for 3 and ended their mandatory powerplay at 30 for 3.
Recognizing the serious situation, the Irish captain gabby lewis A vital rescue operation was launched. Lewis led the innings with a hard-working 59 runs in 50 balls with the help of eight fours and one six. He carefully rebuilt the innings, making an important partnership of 66 runs for the fourth wicket. leah paulWho contributed 20 consecutive runs in 27 balls. Even late after Paul’s dismissal in the 14th over alice tectorWho scored 28 not out from just 21 balls at a strike rate of 133.33, taking Ireland to a defendable score of 130 for 5 at the end of 20 overs. However, the Sri Lankan bowlers never let the game slip away. Mithali Ayodhya She was an exceptional performer with the ball, conceding just 18 runs in her four overs, while Kumari, Athapaththu, and Nilakshika Silva Maintained tight economic pressure by taking one wicket each.
Chamari Athapaththu’s brilliant century helps Sri Lanka register a stunning win against Ireland
Needing 131 runs to win, Sri Lanka’s chase soon turned into a spectacular one-woman show. Athapaththu came to the crease with clear intent and attacked the Irish bowlers from the start. At the end of the powerplay, Sri Lanka scored 55 runs without loss, putting the game out of reach for Ireland early on.
While his early companions, imesha dulaniPlaying a sensible supporting role, scoring 20 runs off 27 balls, Athapaththu was in an uncharacteristically destructive mood. Both of them made a brilliant partnership of 98 runs for the first wicket. Athapaththu completed his half-century in just 30 balls and punished any misses. By the time Prendergast broke the opening stand by bowling Dulani in the 12th over, Sri Lanka needed less than 40 runs.
The Sri Lankan captain refused to slow down and scored an unprecedented, unbeaten 106 off just 61 balls. With a staggering strike rate of 173.77, he smashed boundaries with 17 fours and cleared the ropes with two massive sixes. Nilakshika De Silva Joining them for a while, remaining unbeaten on 4, Sri Lanka comfortably crossed the finish line at 134 for 1 in just 15.3 overs.
Unsurprisingly, Athapaththu was crowned Player of the Match for his century and his first significant bowling spell. With this statement, Athapaththu has strongly cautioned the rest of the teams in the tournament.
Sri Lanka’s spectacular victory by nine wickets with 27 balls remaining.#SLvIRE #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/K0HpfWgSTJ
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