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

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 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)