Sri Lanka begin Women’s T20 WC warm-up match with win

Sugandika Kumari 

• Sugandika Kumari performs hat-trick 

Sri Lanka prepared for their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup campaign with a comfortable 33-run win over Bangladesh, with Sugandika Kumari taking a hat-trick.

A 58-run partnership between Hasini Perera and Nilakshika Silva helped Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh.

Harshitha Samarawickrama made 29, opening the batting in a lightning-fast start, with Sri Lanka making 39 from the first three overs.

Perera then pushed the total on with 43 as Silva contributed 30 runs from 23 balls, as the pair moved the Asia Cup champions to 123-4 in the 16th over. Bangladesh was able to restrict the death-over scoring as Sri Lanka posted 143-7 in Dubai.

In response, the Tigers’ top order struggled to make headway, with Shathi Rani’s strike rate of 66.66 the best of Bangladesh’s top three. Captain Nigar Sultana then calmly pushed Bangladesh on but struggled for a partner as her side lost three wickets in the space of two legal deliveries thanks to Sugandika Kumari, to leave Bangladesh at 62-7 in the 13th over.

Kumari dismissed Shorna Akter and Ritu Moni in back-to-back balls before Rabeya Khan was stumped off a wide to be dismissed without facing a legal ball to confirm Kumari’s hat-trick.

Sultana was eventually matched by Disha Biwas as the two produced some late resistance, with Sultana ending on 30* with Bangladesh 34 runs short of their total.

Sri Lanka play their second warm-up match against Scotland on Monday in Dubai before their first T20 World Cup match against Pakistan on 3 October at Sharjah.

Scores:

 Sri Lanka Women 143-7 (20) (Harshitha Samarawickrama 29, Hasini Perara 43, Nilakshika Silva 30; Shorna Akter 2/19)

Bangladesh 110-9 (20) (Nigar Sultana 30*, Disha Biswas 25; Sugandika Kumari 3/8, Inoshi Priyadharshani 2/11)