Athapaththu, first player to score century in Women’s T20 Asia Cup

Tuesday, 23 July 2024 00:50 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

15-year-old Shashini Gimhani is congratulated by her Captain and team mates after routing Malaysia for 40

Sri Lanka crush Malaysia by 144 runs

Sri Lanka women’s Captain Chamari Athapaththu made her third T20I hundred in 63 balls

Sri Lanka Captain Chamari Athapaththu became the first-ever player in the history of the Women’s T20 Asia Cup to score a century when she led her team to a crushing 144-run win against Malaysia in the first double-header match played at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium yesterday.

Player of the Match Athapaththu’s T20I best of 119* off 69 balls (14 fours, 7 sixes) saw Sri Lanka rattle off 184-4 and then with the help of 15-year-old ambidextrous wrist spinner Shashini Gimhani (3/9) demolished Malaysia for a paltry 40.

Helped by a series of lapses by Malaysia’s fielder Athapaththu raised her half-century off 35 balls. After being given a lifeline at 56 when she was put down at backward point, Athapaththu launched into the Malaysian bowling hitting back-to-back sixes off her opposite number Winifred Duraisingham. From 85-2 in 11 overs Sri Lanka made 99 in the last nine with Athapaththu scoring 68 of them.

With Harshitha Samarawickrama (26), Athapaththu added 64 for the second wicket and a further partnership of 115 off 62 balls followed with Anushka Sanjeewani who made 31 off 24.

Malaysia’s chase never took off and from 17-3 in the sixth over, it only kept getting worse. Aina Najwa held on defiantly to bat out 43 balls for her 9 as Malaysia were bowled out in the final over. Gimhani, one of four changes Sri Lanka made in a bid to give everyone in the squad a run in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup responded well by picking up three wickets, including two in two overs inside the powerplay, with her left-arm wrist spin.

Scores: Sri Lanka women 184-4 (20) (Chamari Athapaththu 119*, Harshitha Samarawickrama 26, Anushka Sanjeewani 31, Winifred Duraisingham 2/34)

Malaysia women 40 (19.5) (Elsa Hunter 10, Kawya Kavindi 2/7, Shashini Gimhani 3/9, Kavisha Dilhari 2/4)