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

Bangladesh finally won a T20I match after losing 10 in a row, earning their first two points in the Women’s Asia Cup in Dambulla. They bounced back from their opening game loss to Sri Lanka by beating Thailand by seven wickets, keeping their hopes for a semi-final spot alive.

Legspinner Rabeya Khan took four wickets, and pace-bowler Ritu Moni grabbed two, helping Bangladesh limit Thailand to 96 for 9 on a spin-friendly pitch. Nattaya Boochatham was Thailand’s top scorer with 40 runs off 41 balls, but it wasn’t enough. In reply, Murshida Khatun, who missed the first game, scored 50 runs to lead Bangladesh to victory in 17.3 overs, marking their first win of the year.

Sri Lanka leads Group B with four points after two matches and has secured a semi-final spot due to a higher net run rate from a big win over Malaysia earlier in the day. Bangladesh and Thailand each have two points, and their final group games on Wednesday will determine which team moves on to the knockouts.

Rabeya, Moni Dominate Thailand

Rabeya’s Early Strikes

Rabeya started her first over with a bang, taking out Suwanchonrathi and Koncharoenkai without letting them score. Bangladesh quickly noticed Thailand struggled with full-length deliveries, so they kept tossing up the balls. The batters couldn’t handle the turn, drift, and bounce from the spinners.

Moni’s Impact

At the halfway mark, Nigar Sultana handed the ball to Moni, the right-arm seamer. She made an immediate impact, hitting the hard length and swinging the ball back to remove Phannita Maya, leaving Thailand at 38 for 3. In her next over, Moni slowed down her pace to bowl out Chanida Sutthiruang for 8 runs from 10 balls.

Rabeya’s Return

Rabeya returned after the 13th over, picking up a wicket in both her third and fourth overs. She went fuller, and Suwanan Khiaoto couldn’t read her wrong’un, getting bowled out. Rabeya also cleaned up Boochatham for 40 runs off 41 balls in the 17th over with a full-length delivery.

Jesmin’s Debut Performance

Debutant left-arm spinner Sabikun Nahar Jesmin, after conceding 23 runs in her first three overs, took two wickets in two deliveries in her final over, further sinking Thailand.

Suwanchonrathi’s Struggle

Aphisara Suwanchonrathi, usually Thailand’s No.11 player, was promoted to open with Boochatham. This decision came after Nannapat Koncharoenkai top-scored with 40 against Malaysia. However, the move failed as Suwanchonrathi struggled, taking 12 balls to score and eventually falling for 6 runs off 20 balls in the seventh over. Thailand managed only 25 runs in the powerplay.

Murshida’s Runs

Murshida’s Comeback

Bangladesh’s last T20I win before Monday was against South Africa in December 2023, with Murshida scoring an unbeaten 62. However, in the following seven months, the team struggled with their batting, often collapsing around Sultana. They used seven different players in the top three positions in the last three series, trying to find a winning combination before the home World Cup in October.

On Monday, Bangladesh made three changes to their XI. One of these changes was bringing in Murshida, and she made it count. She took ten balls to get off the mark but then kept the score ticking.

Despite a mix-up with Dilara Akter in the fifth over, which led to Akter’s run out, Murshida settled down. She hit eight fours in her 55-ball stay, scoring her fourth half-century in T20Is. Along with Ishma, she put together a 60-run stand for the second wicket, dulling Thailand’s attack.

Bangladesh lost two wickets late in the game, but this time, they didn’t need Sultana to rescue them.

Player of the Match (Rabeya Khan)

 “It feels great to have done well. The ball came out very well. The second wicket was my favourite. I kept it up and despite the turn managed to hit the wicket.”

What a comeback for Thailand as they kick off their Asia Cup campaign with a 22-run win in Dambulla. Malaysia was cruising at 83 for 1, on the brink of their first win over Thailand in T20s. But despite some sloppy fielding, Kamchomphu and the bowlers turned the game around, causing Malaysia to lose seven wickets for just 24 runs.

Putthawong made history as the youngest captain to win a match in the Asia Cup. Julia scored a fifty and held on, but got no support from the other end. Hunter’s wicket in the 13th over was the turning point.

Thailand’s innings

Powerplay: positive start despite early wickets

Nattaya Boochatham’s three boundaries off Ainna Hamizah Hashim set the tone for Thailand. Despite losing their openers, Nannaphat Chaihan and Boochatham, early, Thailand remained aggressive in the first six overs. Nannapat Koncharoenkai and Phannita Maya’s boundaries helped Thailand reach 41/2 after five overs.

Middle overs: Ismail’s key strikes

Mahirah Izzati Ismail’s spell was crucial for Malaysia, as she took key wickets and kept the scoring in check. Koncharoenkai and Maya hit boundaries, but Ismail dismissed both Koncharoenkai and Chanida Sutthiruang, leaving Thailand at 95/5 in the 14th over.

Death overs: Thailand post a defendable total

With limited batting resources left, Thailand managed to reach a challenging total. Suwanan Khiaoto and Rosenan Kanoh took singles and twos regularly, with Kanoh hitting a crucial boundary, helping Thailand finish with over 130 runs.

Malaysia’s innings

Powerplay: steady start by openers

Wan Julia hit three boundaries in the first three overs, while Winifred Duraisingam also added a four. Although the start was watchful, Malaysia managed to keep up a decent run rate, reaching 36/0 in six overs.

Middle overs: pressure from Thailand

Malaysia’s openers rotated the strike but slowed down the scoring, allowing Thailand to apply pressure. After reaching 68, Duraisingam was bowled by Onnicha Kamchomphu, and Malaysia lost quick wickets. Despite a few boundaries, they needed 43 runs in the last five overs.

Death overs: wickets halt Malaysia’s chase

With a high required run rate, Malaysia succumbed to the pressure. Hashim’s run out and Julia’s dismissal after her fifty made it worse for Malaysia, as they kept losing wickets and ended up far from the target.

Player of the match (Nannapat Koncharoenkai):

“Very happy with the win. It was the first time the new captain was on board, First game is always exciting but there was also some anxiety, that’s why we saw some sloppy fielding. We have been pratcising for tough situations like today. “

Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2024 points table

In a move to promote women’s cricket and ensure widespread support, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has announced free entry for spectators for the upcoming Women’s T20 Asia Cup starting from July 19.

Details of the Women’s T20 Asia Cup

The ninth edition of the Women’s T20 Asia Cup is set to take place in Sri Lanka, with all matches hosted at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium in Dambulla. The tournament, running from July 19 to July 28, will feature eight teams: Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, UAE, Nepal, Malaysia, and Thailand. This highly anticipated event will serve as a key competition ahead of the Women’s T20 World Cup later this year.

See Also: Mark Wood replaces James Anderson in England’s squad for the second Test against West Indies

Sri Lanka Cricket’s initiative

By offering free entry to all matches, SLC aims to fill the stands and create an electrifying atmosphere for the players. According to SLC Vice President Ravin Wickramaratne, the board is committed to hosting a successful tournament that will elevate women’s cricket on the global stage.

“Sri Lanka Cricket, with the support of the Asian Cricket Council, is planning to conduct a highly successful tournament, as a successful outcome of this tournament will help advance women’s cricket on the world stage,’ said Ravin Wickramaratne in a press release.

Group Divisions and Fixtures

The eight participating teams have been divided into two groups. Group A consists of India, Pakistan, UAE, and Nepal, while Group B includes Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Malaysia, and Thailand. The tournament will kick off with the UAE facing Nepal, followed by a high-stakes match between arch-rivals India and Pakistan.

India’s campaign kickoff

India, the defending champions, will begin their campaign against Pakistan. This match promises to be a thrilling encounter, given the fierce rivalry between the two teams. India’s dominance in the tournament, having won seven out of the eight editions, adds to the excitement and pressure for both teams.

Tournament Format

The Women’s T20 Asia Cup will feature a total of 15 matches, culminating in the final on July 28. The tournament’s T20 format is not only fast-paced and exciting but also serves as a preparation ground for the Women’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh later this year. Teams will be looking to fine-tune their strategies and build momentum ahead of the global event.