Chamari Athapaththu’s calm half-century helped Sri Lanka clinch a thrilling win over Pakistan in the Women’s Asia Cup semifinal. Sri Lanka chased 141, winning with just one ball left, and now face India in the final.

Sri Lanka’s steady play in the middle overs was crucial. While Pakistan faltered after a strong start, Sri Lanka recovered from early jitters, scoring just enough to cross the finish line despite losing wickets late in the game.

Pakistan innings

Powerplay: Openers set the stage

Pakistan’s openers started slow but picked up pace. Gull Feroza hit three boundaries in the third over, and Muneeba Ali followed with consecutive fours off Athapaththu. They reached 45 runs in the powerplay.

Middle overs: Sri Lanka strikes back

Sri Lanka fought back around the halfway mark. Udeshika Prabodhani broke the opening stand, dismissing both set openers in one over. Kavisha Dilhari then took two more wickets in another over.

Final overs: A late surge

Fatima Sana and Aliya Riaz rallied in the last overs. Despite a cautious 16th over, they realized the need for quick runs. Fatima hit three boundaries, and Aliya cleared the ropes once, helping Pakistan post a competitive 140.

Sri Lanka chase

Powerplay: Early setback

Sri Lanka’s start was shaky. Vishmi Gunaratne got out for a duck in the first over, and Harshitha Madavi, despite hitting two fours, was dismissed for 12. Athapaththu had to anchor the innings.

Middle overs: Chamari takes control

Athapaththu found her rhythm and hit boundaries regularly, pushing the score to 69 at the halfway mark. Though Sadia Iqbal took two quick wickets, Athapaththu’s presence kept Sri Lanka in the hunt. She reached her fifty and brought the target down to 35 off 30 balls.

Final overs: A nail-biting finish

Athapaththu’s slog sweep over midwicket brought the target down to 28 from 26 balls. She hit another boundary, but Pakistan fought back with her wicket and a run-out in the next over. Under pressure, Sugandika Kumari hit two crucial boundaries in the penultimate over, leaving 3 runs needed off 6 balls. Despite Nida Dar’s efforts, Sri Lanka sealed the win in the last over.

Player of the Match (Chamari Athapaththu)

“The game was very tight. Unfortunately I got out early, I had to finish the game. The girls finished the game in style. Hope my girls will continue this performance in the final as well. Good track for batting, positive intent is important. We lost a couple of wickets early, but stuck to our plan. I took my time because we lost wickets early. I am a senior batter, so I changed my batting style. I tried to finish the game but got out. Finals – very important game, but we don’t want to take pressure. It is just one game, we want to enjoy the moment.” She then goes on to thank the crowd.

Renuka Singh Thakur and Radha Yadav led India’s bowling attack, helping the team reach the final of the Asia Cup by defeating Bangladesh by 10 wickets. Renuka 3-10 and Radha 3-14 shines with the ball, limiting Bangladesh to just 80/8. India chased down the target in only 11 overs, with Mandhana scoring a quick fifty.

India’s bowlers never let Bangladesh settle after they chose to bat. Wickets fell regularly in the powerplay, middle overs, and at the end, preventing Bangladesh from building any partnerships. With boundaries hard to come by, Bangladesh’s bowlers had no chance as Mandhana and Shafali powered India into their ninth Women’s Asia Cup final.

Bangladesh innings

Powerplay: Renuka strikes early

Renuka bowled three overs in the powerplay, taking a wicket in each. Dilara Akter hit a six but was out trying to repeat the shot. Ishma Tanjim edged Renuka to short third man after hitting two fours off Pooja Vastrakar. Murshida Khatun was dropped but then caught in the deep trying to pull Renuka. Regular wickets meant Bangladesh couldn’t capitalize in the powerplay.

Middle overs: Bangladesh struggles

Renuka bowled a maiden in the seventh over to finish her spell. Indian bowlers kept it tight, not allowing Bangladesh to score freely. Radha bowled Rumana Ahmed in the 10th over, leaving Bangladesh at 32/4. Rabeya Khan and Ritu Moni fell quickly, leaving Bangladesh at 44/6.

Death overs: Radha’s tight bowling

Bangladesh crossed 50 in the 16th over. Shorna Akter edged Radha for a four, their first boundary in over 11 overs. Deepti bowled an economical 18th over. Shorna and Sultana managed a four each off Vastrakar. Radha bowled an excellent final over, dismissing Sultana and Nahida Akter, keeping Bangladesh to a low total.

India innings

Powerplay: Strong start

India started quickly, scoring over half the target in the powerplay. Mandhana and Shafali hit boundaries off Marufa Akter and Nahida. Mandhana hit a six off Jahanara Alam and two fours off Nahida. Despite Jahanara’s tight sixth over, India had a strong powerplay.

Middle overs: Mandhana finishes early

Mandhana edged Jahanara to backward point but was relieved as the bowler overstepped. Mandhana hit a four off Rabeya Khan. In the 11th over, Mandhana hit three successive fours off Nahida, reaching her fifty and finishing the chase.

Player of the Match(Renuka Singh):

“I am very happy. It was a big match for us and to do well is a good feeling. The idea is to work on the basics. I executed what we prepared yesterday. Got a lot help from the wind blowing across. I like bowling with the new ball, and got to bowl my spell early. I was happy with all my wickets, because you get rewarded for your work.”

Sri Lanka put on a dominant display, beating Thailand by ten wickets in their final group match in Dambulla on Wednesday (July 24). They will now face Pakistan in the second semi-final on Friday, with India and Bangladesh playing in the first semi-final earlier the same day.

Sri Lanka’s bowlers were relentless, restricting Thailand to under 100 runs. Nannapat Koncharoenkai 47* was the only Thai batter to resist, scoring more than half of her team’s total. Kavisha Dilhari 2-13 led a flawless bowling performance, and Sri Lanka’s openers chased down the target with 51 balls to spare. Chamari Athapaththu 49* and Vishmi Gunaratne 39* easily crossed the finish line, keeping Sri Lanka’s unbeaten streak intact.

Sri Lanka dominated as expected, proving too strong for the inexperienced Thailand team. Despite decent batting conditions, Thailand struggled against Sri Lanka’s disciplined bowling. Their batting never gained momentum, and their bowlers couldn’t make an impact with such a low score to defend.

Thailand’s innings

Powerplay: Rough start

Thailand had a tough start, losing Nattaya Boochatham to Achini Kulasuriya’s first ball delivery. Inoshi Priyadarshani then dismissed Aphisara Suwanchonrathi, who hit three boundaries in her short innings. Thailand managed a slow Powerplay against accurate bowling.

Middle overs: Innings falls apart

Things got worse for Thailand as Sri Lanka’s spinners tightened their grip. Thailand lacked intent, except for Koncharoenkai, who fought alone. With a run rate under three per over, their innings collapsed beyond recovery. Dilhari took two wickets, while Athapaththu and Sugandika Kumari took one each.

Death overs: Decent finish

Thailand’s best phase came at the end, showing urgency in the last five overs. Though it didn’t lift them to a competitive total, they managed some runs. Koncharoenkai hit a few boundaries, and her partners chipped in. The final over yielded 13 runs, giving Thailand a slight morale boost despite the low total.

Sri Lanka’s chase

Powerplay: Steady start

With a low target, Athapaththu and Gunaratne took their time in the first six overs. They played carefully, without scoreboard pressure, yet Athapaththu showed her power with two big sixes. Gunaratne also found the boundary a few times, ensuring an easy start for Sri Lanka.

Middle overs: Easy finish

As the overs passed, the openers became more aggressive. Athapaththu hit two more sixes, and Gunaratne cleared the ropes once. Runs flowed smoothly, and though the final blow wasn’t a six, the duo finished the job with more than eight overs to spare. This win capped a perfect group stage for Sri Lanka, flawless in all three games.

Player of the Match: Athapaththu for her bristling knock and 1-15.

“Enjoying my cricket, don’t want to take too much risk. Just wanna play my natural game. Approach was see-ball-hit-ball. I enjoy hitting sixes because I work hard doing power hitting in the nets, so I continue it in the middle. I didn’t think of my individual landmark, was just thinking of winning the game [when asked about the bye they took to finish the game]. We wanna take it one game at a time, just be serious but at the same time not take too much pressure on my shoulders.”

Chamari Athapaththu performance in tournament

Chamari Athapaththu of Sri Lanka led the run charts with an impressive 180 runs from three matches at a striking rate of 155.17, showcasing her power-hitting prowess with 17 fours and 12 sixes. Athapaththu’s aggressive approach and consistent run scoring played a crucial role in Sri Lanka’s successful campaign, making her the most impactful player of the tournament and a key driver of her team’s success.

Athapaththu smashed an unbeaten 119* off just 69 balls, including 14 boundaries and seven sixes against Malaysia. Her knock of 119 is now her highest individual score in the shortest format, besting her 113 against Australia in North Sydney back in 2019

With Gull Feroza’s back to back half centuries, Pakistan clinched a dominant 10 wicket win over UAE in the final Group A match of the Women’s Asia Cup 2024 in Dambulla. Pakistan’s bowlers, including Nashra Sandhu, Sadia Iqbal, and Tuba Hassan, each took two wickets to limit UAE to 103 runs, despite Theertha Satish’s solid 40.

Pakistan’s openers chased down the target in just 14.1 overs, boosting their net run rate from +0.497 to 1.158. Unless Nepal pulls off a huge upset against India later, Pakistan is likely to move on to the knockout stages.

UAE innings

Slow start in powerplay

UAE captain Esha Oza started strong with a boundary on her first ball, but the openers faced many dot balls, which hurt their progress. They did manage a boundary each over, except in Sadia Iqbal’s two overs, but also had 25 dot balls, which worked in Pakistan’s favor.

Pakistan bowlers shine in middle overs

UAE increased their scoring rate to 6 runs per over during the middle overs, but frequent wickets slowed their progress. Nashra Sandhu took two quick wickets, including UAE’s captain. Skipper Nida Dar and leg-spinner Tuba Hassan also picked up crucial wickets, including a key dismissal of UAE’s opener, who missed a half-century by 10 runs.

More wickets in the final overs

UAE’s attempt to accelerate in the final overs resulted in more wickets falling. Sadia Iqbal removed both set batters in her last two overs, ending with figures of 2-11. New batter Samaira Dharnidharka narrowly escaped a run-out but was out on the next ball, giving Tuba her second wicket. A few singles in the final over pushed UAE’s total to 103, but it was not enough to challenge Pakistan.

Pakistan innings

Early luck in powerplay

Pakistan’s openers enjoyed some luck. Feroza was dropped on the first ball but capitalized with frequent boundaries. Mubeena Ali, her opening partner, also survived a questionable stumping call, with the TV umpire ruling it not out despite clear evidence of her feet being outside the crease.

Feroza’s Fifty seals the win

Feroza’s confidence from her previous innings showed as she scored another fifty, finishing with 62 not out off 55 balls. Mubeena Ali supported with a solid 37 not out from 30 balls. Mubeena hit the winning runs on the first ball of the 15th over, securing the victory for Pakistan.

Player of the Match (Gul Feroza):

“Just enjoying my game. The plan is to get success. I take confidence [from the fifty in the last game]. It was an easy score, so I tried my level best.”

Vishmi Gunaratne’s impressive half-century guided Sri Lanka to a comfortable 7 wicket victory over Bangladesh in Dambulla. Sri Lanka chased down the modest target of 112 runs with 17 balls remaining, showcasing their batting strength. Despite early setbacks, Sri Lanka maintained control throughout the game and achieved a smooth win.

Bangladesh’s early struggles

Bangladesh faced a tough start, losing four crucial wickets during the powerplay. This early collapse set them back significantly, forcing them to play catch up for the rest of the match. Although they made some progress in the middle overs and had a spirited finish, it wasn’t sufficient to alter the outcome. Sri Lanka, despite losing their captain during the innings, managed to handle the modest target with ease.

Bangladesh’s performance

Early wickets in Powerplay

Bangladesh began their innings with a boundary from Dilare Akter but quickly fell into trouble. Udeshika Prabodhani and Inoshi Priyadharshini took control with early breakthroughs, dismissing four top order batsmen. The team struggled as they lost key players like Ishma Tanjim and Rubya Haider without scoring, putting them on the back foot early in the match.

Sultana’s fight back in middle overs

Nigar Sultana played aggressively after the powerplay, scoring boundaries and attempting to build a stable innings. Her effort was crucial as Bangladesh sought to recover from the early losses. Chamari Athapaththu’s key wicket of Shorifa Khatun in the 11th over slowed down Bangladesh’s progress and allowed Sri Lanka to regain control of the match.

Sultana and Shorna finish strong in death overs

In the final overs, Sultana and Shorna Akter provided a late surge for Bangladesh. Shorna hit three consecutive boundaries in the 18th over, helping Bangladesh surpass the 100-run mark. Nigar Sultana continued the momentum with boundaries in the last over, but their late efforts were not enough to secure a win.

Sri Lanka’s Performance

Athapaththu falls after a solid start in powerplay

Sri Lanka’s innings started slowly, but Chamari Athapaththu made a significant impact with a six and a boundary, signaling a strong chase. Despite a steady start, Athapaththu was dismissed in the last over of the powerplay, but the damage was already done. Her contribution provided a solid foundation for the chase.

Gunaratne and Samarawickrama drive the chase in middle overs

Sri Lanka’s chase was well-managed by Vishmi Gunaratne and Harshitha Samarawickrama. The pair combined effectively, with Gunaratne scoring a half-century before being dismissed. Their partnership added 54 runs for the second wicket, keeping Sri Lanka on track to chase down the target comfortably. Gunaratne’s aggressive batting, especially against Sultana Khatun, was pivotal in controlling the chase.

Samarawickrama seals the Win in death overs

As Sri Lanka approached victory, Harshitha Samarawickrama took charge in the 17th over, hitting several boundaries and accelerating the chase. Although Bangladesh managed to get her out for 33, the game was already in Sri Lanka’s favor. Dilhari’s boundary in the final over sealed the win for Sri Lanka, capping off a successful chase.

Player of the Match (Vishmi Gunaratne)

“I am enjoying this year. This one makes more special because my family is here. I would like to thank my parents, sister. Enjoyed batting with my captain. Pitch is good for batting and easy to chase down the score. I had to work on my reverse sweep. Moving forward, I want to get this right.”

Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2024 group B points table:

India started their Asia Cup campaign with a bang, defeating Pakistan by seven wickets in Dambulla on Friday. Deepti Sharma, the Player of the Match, led a disciplined bowling effort, taking 3-20 to restrict Pakistan to just 108 runs. Openers Smriti Mandhana (45 off 31) and Shafali Verma (40 off 29) then chased down the target with ease, launching India’s title defense in style.

Powerplay: India’s strong start

Nida Dar chose to bat first on a dry, batting friendly pitch, but Pakistan’s top order struggled against Pooja Vastrakar’s early strikes. In contrast, India’s openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma went after the Pakistani bowlers, scoring at 9.5 runs per over in the first six overs. Pakistan managed only one double-digit over in their PowerPlay, with India’s pacers applying constant pressure in windy conditions.

Pakistan’s struggle: Vastrakar removes openers early

Pooja Vastrakar was in top form, removing both Pakistan openers in her PowerPlay overs. She used the short ball effectively, and despite a boundary off her first ball, she quickly took control. Pakistan’s top order couldn’t recover, managing only a few boundaries in the first six overs.

Spinners and Renuka Thakur keep Pakistan in check

India’s spinners took over, with Patil striking in her first over. Aliya Riaz fell to a leading edge, and with Harmanpreet Kaur also bowling spin, Pakistan crawled to 53/3 at the halfway mark. Vastrakar’s return added pressure, leading to the dismissal of Pakistan’s captain, Dar. Renuka Thakur then took two quick wickets in her final over, leaving Pakistan struggling.

Late counterattack curbed by off-spinners

Tuba Hassan and Fatima Sana provided some resistance, adding 31 runs for the ninth wicket. Tuba was aggressive, hitting boundaries off Deepti, Vastrakar, and Shreyanka, but Deepti dismissed her soon after. A run-out and a quick wicket by Patil ended Pakistan’s innings at 108 with four balls left.

India’s chase

Verma’s blazing start

Pakistan started with spin, but Shafali Verma quickly punished Sadia Iqbal. Verma and Mandhana kept the score ticking with boundaries, racing to 57 runs in the PowerPlay. Verma’s aggressive batting set the tone, hitting Fatima Sana for consecutive boundaries.

Mandhana seals the deal

Nashra Sandhu provided brief respite with a tight over, but Mandhana’s onslaught on Tuba ended Pakistan’s hopes. Mandhana hit five boundaries in one over, reaching 45 before being dismissed. Verma also fell, but D Hemalatha maintained the momentum with quick boundaries. Despite Sandhu’s late strike, India easily completed the chase in the 15th over.

POTM

Deepti Sharma received the Player of the Match award for her outstanding performance with the ball, taking 3-20.

Women’s Asia Cup T20, 2024 – Group A: