Monday Jan 27, 2025
Monday Jan 27, 2025
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Sri Lanka celebrate their win over West Indies
Player of the Match Chamudi Praboda (3/16) receiving her award
The Sri Lankans meant business at the ICC Women’s Under-19 World Cup as they powered to an 81-run win over the West Indies in Kuala Lumpur yesterday set up by a historic effort with the bat.
Sri Lanka took down their own record, posting the biggest total of the tournament so far. Coming off scoring 162 to set up a win over hosts Malaysia on Monday, Sri Lanka smashed 166-5 against a West Indies side desperate to keep their tournament hopes alive.
Those big-swinging efforts were matched by their work in the field, tearing right through the West Indies batting line-up to have them all out for 85 just inside 20 overs.
15-year-old left-arm spinner Chamodi Praboda proved quite a handful for the West Indies as she took all 3 wickets to fall for 13 runs in the first power play. She is currently the leading wicket-taker in the tournament with 6 wickets.
Chamodi received good support from spinners Aseni Thalagune and Limansa Thilakaratne who shared four wickets between them. Sri Lanka spinners dominated the entire West Indies innings helping themselves to 9 of the 10 wickets, the last wicket being a run out. They also bowled 73 dot balls maintaining tight lines.
Sri Lanka’s catching was exceptional and there was some excellent glove work from behind the stumps by wicket-keeper Sumudu Nisansala.
Helped in part by some missed opportunities by the West Indies in the field, and poor bowling where they conceded 36 runs in extras (21 wides), the Sri Lankans clinically made their way to 79-1 at the mid-point of their batting innings, having won the toss and opting to set the score.Openers Sanjana Kavindi (38 off 36, 6 fours) and Sumudu Nisansala (19 off 22 balls, 2 fours, 1 six) put on 54 runs in under seven overs for the first wicket to help set things up, highlighted by Sumudu’s huge six over midwicket. The clean hitting continued after the 10-over mark as well, led by the valuable contributions of Captain Manudi Nanayakkara (37 off 31, 4 fours, 1 six) and Dahami Sanethma (31 off 25, 3 fours).
Tricky left-armer Selena Ross was the pick of the bowlers, finishing with 2/25 from her four overs, while Jahzara Claxton’s dismissal of Hiruni Kumari was also a highlight.
India, the defending champions made short work of host Malaysia dismissing them for 31 to win by 10 wickets.
Both India and Sri Lanka have qualified to play in the next stage of the tournament, the Super Six. They will pit each other in their final group match on Thursday.
Chamodi who was named Player of the Match said that she bowled a lot in the power play maintaining a strict line and to get wickets.
“My ambition in this World Cup is to finish as the leading wicket-taker,” she said.
Sri Lanka Captain Manudi Nanayakkara praised the coaching staff. “They really worked on us to produce this result.”
Scores:
Sri Lanka Under-19 Women 166-5 (20) (Sanjana Kavindi 39, Sumudu Nisansala 19, Manudi Nanayakkara 37, Dahami Sanethma 31*, Extras 31, Selena Ross 2/25)
West Indies Under-19 Women 85 (19.4) (Samara Ramnath 24, Chamudi Praboda 3/16, Aseni Thalagune 2/16, Limansa Thilakaratne 2/7)
