Sri Lanka begin U19 Women’s T20 WC campaign with thumping win

Monday, 20 January 2025 02:58 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Player of the Match Dahami Sanethma receiving her award

Hosts Malaysia bowled out for 23

Chamodi Praboda celebrating a wicket

Chamodi Praboda and Dahami Sanethma emerged as the star performers as Sri Lanka pinned down hosts Malaysia by 139 runs in their ICC Women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup opener on day two of the tournament at Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

Defending a challenging total, Sri Lanka were on top from the get-go, removing three wickets in the powerplay, starting off with Rashmika Sewwandi, who claimed opener Irdina Beh in the first over to hand her team an early advantage. It was followed by twin strikes from Praboda, who got the better of Nazatul Hidayah Husna and Nur Izzatul Syafiqa in the second over of the innings.

Just as the hosts were reeling from the early wickets, Manudi Nanayakkara made her mark with the wickets of Nur Aliya and skipper Nur Daniya Syuhada in the same over, as half of the Malaysian batting returned with only 14 runs on the board. Aseni Thalagune also got into the thick of the action with a stunning direct hit to remove Nuriman Hidayah out of the equation with a run out.

Limansa Thilakaratne then got rid of Suabika Manivannan and Nur Ain in successive overs from her end before Praboda returned to clinch her third, finishing with figures of 3/5. Another run out came as the final blow for the hosts, who were bowled out for 23.

Earlier, Dahami Sanethma anchored the Sri Lankan innings with the first half-century of the tournament. Returning with 55 runs off 52 deliveries, Dahami composed her knock with five boundaries as Sri Lanka closed the innings with 162/6 on the board.

Opener Sanjana Kavindi (30 off 13 balls, 6 fours) and Hiruni Kumari (28 off 21 balls, 4 fours) in the middle order were also key contributors for the Sri Lankans. Hosts Malaysia did pull the run rate back thanks to wickets in the middle overs. The pick of the bowlers Siti Nazwah removed Hiruni and Rashmika Sewwandi in the same over to carve an opening for the hosts. But thanks to some late fireworks, courtesy of Sanethma and Shashini Gimhani, Sri Lanka leaped past the 150-run mark.

Malaysia had won the toss and elected to bowl in the nation’s capital, and there were emotional scenes when Marsya claimed the hosts’ opening wicket, a catch off her own bowling to dismiss Kavindi in the fourth over.

Player of the Match Dahami Sanethma said that Sri Lanka women’s top order batter Harshitha Samarawickrama was her favourite player. “She won an Asia Cup for Sri Lanka with her bat. Likewise, I want to do the same for my country in this World Cup. That is my biggest target.”

Sri Lanka play the West Indies tomorrow in their second match.

Scores:

Sri Lanka U19 Women 162-6 (20) (Sanjana Kavindi 30, Dahami Sanethma 55, Hiruni Kumari 28, Siti Nazwah 2/31)

Malaysia U19 Women 23 (14.1) (Nur Aliya 7, Chamodi Praboda 3/5, Manudi Nanayakkara 2/8, Limansa Thilakaratne 2/3)